The Shieldmaiden and the Fury
by Aquariuspower
Summary: After the death of Stoick, young Hiccup runs away from his uncle and disappear. Years after, a tribe riding dragons arise, before being challenged by Berk's chief. In order to restore peace after defeats, Berk propose a marriage between the chief of the dragon riders, Fury, a masked figure believed to be a monster, and Astrid, a formidable warrior. Beauty and the Beast vibes.
1. Gone

**Chapter 1**

 **Hi everyone! Okay for those who have read my first version on Beauty and the Beast with Httyd, this one will be very different, and less close to the fairy tale, but you will still have some vibes. Here, the beast is Hiccup and not Astrid, I hope you'll appreciate it!**

 **Now don't worry, Astrid is not gonna be some damsel in distress or some poor thing, she'll still be strong, I wouldn't do that to a character I love. She'll still be badass, and Hiccup too!**

 **Also, just a note: I usually don't portray Spitelout being a really bad person, but here it was the best option as it suited the story well. Now Spitelout won't be straight evil, but still despicable.**

 **If you spot mistakes, don't hesitate to tell me, English is not my first langage.**

 **Enjoy!**

The island of Berk was one of the most prosperous of the Archipelago, and since a long time. A lot of people said that it was because they had the chance of having an island pretty fertile in spite of the usual cold. Some said it was because the gods had taken a liking on this islad. Other said it was simply because the Haddock family, the one which ruled Berk since generation, was a lineage composed by true chiefs, able to lead their tribe with strenght and honor. The current chief, Stoick the Vast, was definitely holding up to that reputation.

The man was one of the most respected and feared chiefs, extremely tough with his enemy but kind to his people. His son and Heir Hiccup was the only thing that made people doubt. The boy was a runt, not really good at fighting, and often doing messes. Yet in spite of that, most of the tribe thought that maybe the boy simply needed time to grow and would maybe become at least a decent chief. Things were going quite well around, in spite of difficult times and the dragons, the tribe was prosperous and was respected. Yet one day, everything changed.

The Outcasts, old enemies of Berk, came for a battle. Hiccup, who was ten at the time, was hidden as well as the other kids who were too young to fight. The Hooligans managed to win, yet horrible news awaited Hiccup. Once he was out of the lair they had been locked in, Gobber came to him and gave him his father's helmet.

"Hiccup...I'm sorry. Alvin...He pulled an awful trick and..."

"Is my dad..."

Gobber nodded. Alvin, Stoick's sworn enemy, had used poisoned darts to incapacitate some warriors, and especially Stoick. Half paralyzed by the poison, the chief hadn't been able to fight with all his might, and Alvin took advantage of it.

Stoick's death was a tragedy for pretty much everyone, but his son was the saddest of them all. Even though his father had often yelled at him, he had always been kind, and loved him truly. The day of his funerals, Hiccup looked at the boat burning with silent tears rolling down on his face, only a sob could be heard from time to time. As his closest relative, Stoick's brother Spitelout was named Chief, until Hiccup would be old enough to take over. Also, his nephew went to live with them, although Gobber proposed to take him home. With time, Hiccup would bitterly wish he went to live with his teacher.

At first, Spitelout, his wife and Snotlout tried to be nice toward him, after all he was a member of their family. Yet, soon enough, Spitelout started to develop other feelings for his nephew. He loved being chief (even though people said he wasn't as good as Stoick), but he was very aware that he was only a replacement, that one day the boy would take his place. And if he had to give his place to someone, it had to be his son, or at least someone worth it, and Hiccup wasn't worth it. Had Hiccup been strong and sturdy like his Snotlout, he would have accepted him (or at least that was what he thought), he would have thought it was legitimate. But Hiccup was a clumsy runt, always putting mess around. When he thought Snotlout would have to obey this runt! His son should have been the next chief!

At first, when Hiccup was causing a mess, Spitelout would simply give him a lecture, like any responsible adult would when a kid does something wrong. Yet, his uncle soon realized he enjoyed putting down his nephew, especially when there were other people around to see it. That's how Spitelout ended pointing every single errors his nephew would make before everyone, humiliating him, overexaggerating his flaws and making him feel like the worse of the worse. At first some people told Spitelout that he was rough to a kid who lost his father, but he pretended it was only in order to toughen him. With some slyness, he convinced people that Hiccup was no chief material, that he would really lead Berk to his downfall once he would be chief, that he had to be tough on him to avoid that. Many people sided with him.

Life at home was hardly better for Hiccup, his uncle and cousin would also torment him at home. Snotlout would sometimes hit him, and though his mother wouldn't allow him to hurt his cousin too badly, Hiccup knew she agreed with her husband, and scorned him. The first times Spitelout started to humiliate him in front of the village, Hiccup had tried to defend himself, but he soon understood there was no point. So instead, he would silently listen, with a cold and stern look, and would only answer with dry sarcastic remarks at times. He wasn't aware of it, but the cold demeanour angered Spiteout even more, because this gave the young boy some kind of dignity that he couldn't bear.

Snotlout also had most of the other kids against him, for a time, he and the twins as well as some others would often search for Hiccup to bully him. The young boy would go to the forest or take refuge in the forge, with his master. For a time, his life was truly a nightmare, not only he was still tormented by his father's death, but he was also made miserable by the ones who should have protected him. Gobber would do his best to help him, but he couldn't always be around. Luckily for him, another help would come.

Astrid Hofferson had never joined the other kids when they bullied Hiccup, but at first she thought that Spitelout was right to be tough on him. Yet her parents always taught her that several people attacking one alone was low, and with time, she realized that Spitelout was often very harsh indeed, even vicious toward an orphan. One day, while the chief was giving his nephew another lecture in front of everyone, she had imagined herself being Hiccup and it was awful. She also looked at the way he was standing through it: he was calm and cold, an air of indifference and she couldn't help but think that he was kind of badass, a lot of kids she knew would have already broke after all those humiliations. He deserved a chance maybe.

So one afternoon, when Snotlout and his friends started to bully him once more, Astrid came to defend him, and though she was alone to do that, the other kids knew she wasn't one to be messed with. It would have been an understatement to say that Hiccup was astonished.

"Why did you do this?" Asked he once they were leaving.

"Are you unhappy I did?"

"No, and thank you for doing it. I'm just wondering."

She just shrugged.

"I don't know, it's just low to attack someone alone."

Hiccup couldn't help but think that she was doing that only out of pity. He could have told her that he didn't want pity, but having someone at his side wasn't a bad thing, plus he had a slight crush on Astrid. Being saved by the girl you like was quite sweet. They spoke a little, and Fishlegs joined them soon enough. Though he never hated Hiccup and certainly never bullied him, he never dared to defend him and his parents advised him against befriending the boy any further. But Astrid being here to help changed a lot of things.

Hiccup was happy that he had two friends in addition to his teacher to help. Fishlegs and Astrid wouldn't be the only ones though. After defending Hiccup, she went to the other kids and tried to convince them that they shouldn't be that harsh on Hiccup, that what they were doing was wrong. Though a lot of them were left unconvinced, the twins were touched by what she said. Though they were friends with Snotlout, they couldn't deny some of the things Astrid said was true. They wouldn't say it out loud, and pretended that if Hiccup was so good at making mess (just like them), there was at least some interest in him. Some other kids just left Hiccup alone, but Snotlout and some of his friends surely didn't care about what the girl told them, and even accused her of going soft. She only answered that she wasn't some unworthy lowlife who would bully an orphan and she'd rather be soft than like him.

So though they at first tormented Hiccup, the twins soon defended him along with Astrid and Fishlegs. Truly, Hiccup was pretty sure they were only acting out of pity, or because they wanted a good excuse to fight against Snotlout, but he didn't push them away. Since the four of them decided to take his side, the bullying outside of his uncle's house had almost totally stopped and it was a big relief. Spitelout was still humiliating him in front of the village, and he would still take it the same way. Once, the twins threw some rotten egg on Spitelout's house in retalation, and Hiccup wondered if they did that just to put a mess or out of friendship.

He knew he owed those allies to Astrid and was more than thankful to her. Yet he was scared at times that one day they would decide he wasn't worth the trouble and that they would leave him. A part of him was telling him he had to trust them, but his lack of self-confidence, caused by the loss of his father and the treatment of his 'family' couldn't let him do that. In spite of his doubts, he became happier and it helped him to grow creative at the forge.

Astrid took upon herself to train Hiccup to fight, and though she was a tough teacher, he made some progresses thanks to her. He was still thin, but he could at least kick and punch properly and they discovered that he wasn't bad at all with a sword. At first, Atsrid defended him out of compassion, then she grew to really like him, and with time, she realized the boy had more abilities than they all thought, and maybe he wouldn't be a bad chief at all. She tried to tell that to her parents but they didn't really believe it. Hiccup however, started to have hope that he could prove his village he was worth something. His uncle wasn't allowing him to go to Dragon Training, unlike his friends and Snotlout, probably to stop him from doing any progress.

One day, when Hiccup was fourteen, he invented something to shoot bolas. His goal was to catch a Night Fury. Astrid told him it was madness but he was hard-headed. One evening, he disobeyed Gobber and went out with his invention and shot. No one saw it, but he got it, he got the Night triumph was short-lived as he was attacked by a Mosntruous Nightmare and caused a mess, even he couldn't deny he had screwed up. Another humiliation by his uncle followed but he ignored it. His friends didn't believe him when he said he shot a Night Fury, so he went alone in the woods to find it. He went back after a while and said he found nothing in the woods. No one saw through the lie.

After that, he would often go to the woods alone. One day, Snotlout and his friends tried to follow him and he rebuked them harshly. In retaliation, the other kids beat him, and Astrid only came in time to help him before he was badly hurt. They fought together and Hiccup had the satisfaction to punch Snotlout. Another satisfaction followed after. Astrid took him to the well in order to take some water and clean his wounds. No one was nearby, and they started to speak:

"What happened?"

"They wanted to follow me, I told them to back off."

"What are you even doing in the forest? Usually you don't hide things from me."

"It's...I don't know, I just like to be alone in there. It's not that I don't want to be with you, I like to be with you, but..."

"I see. We all need time alone I guess."

"Really, it's not...Thank you anyway, for helping me. I always feel like I don't thank you enough."

"It's okay."

"You always helped. I know that for now I can't do anything to thank you, but I will one day."

"Hiccup, you're giving me a good excuse to beat up Snotlout, and it's great, believe me."

He laughed and she did the same. They looked at each other, and suddenly, she did something he wasn't expecting: she approached his lips and kissed him. He kissed her back in a trance-like state, he couldn't believe what was happening to him. They smiled at each other and she left after that without a word.

When he went back to his uncle's house, he was feeling happier than ever. This was short-lived. Spitelout had heard Hiccup had punched his son, and he was furious. Usually he wouldn't hit his nephew hard, this evening however, Hiccup ended with an empty stomach and much more wounds than usual. Next morning, his friends asked him about his bruises on his face. He explained them and they were all furious. They wanted to take revenge on Spitelout and Hiccup was scared for them. He realized that if things continued this way, they would really get problems with the chief. Also, there was this secret he didn't dare to tell them about, and he was pretty sure they wouldn't accept it.

So, soon after his uncle's beating, he told his friends not take revenge, that it was useless, that they didn't have to get into troubles for him. Then, he went to the woods. It was the last time the village saw him.

In the woods, near a pond, Hiccup joined the one he kept secret: his dragon, his friend, Toothless. He petted his dragon and the beast licked his wounds in a soothing way. The dragon had his prosthetic, his saddle, and they had already trained to fly. Hiccup felt incredibly sad, but also relieved to know his dire situation would soon stop.

"We need to leave, Toothless. They like me maybe, but they won't accept you. They want to kill dragons. Also, they'll endanger themselves if I stay, or maybe one day they'll decide I'm not worty of it and they'll leave me. I...Astrid kissed me. I want to stay with her, but...I can't be enough for her, she just kissed me because she pity me. I can be her friend but she can't find me worthy enough of her for anything else. She would loose her time and it will endanger her because of Spitelout. Once I'll be gone, she'll realize she is better without me. I'd rather go, it's better for everyone."

The dragon cooed and Hiccup checked up on his prosthetic, the one he made in secret to allow him to fly again. He had took some stuff and his sword. He sighed and tore off a big piece of his shirt before making a cut on his arm. He dripped some blood on the piece of cloth and on the ground. The dragon's scales would be enough to let them think that something happened. He only took one last glance toward Berk, hoping his friends would be fine.

He expected them to be sad for him, but he also thought they would soon get over it. He was wrong, and while he tried to protect them as well as himself, he ended up hurting them. When people realized the boy was missing, Gobber had a search party organized before Spitelout could do anything. It was Astrid and the twins who discovered the torn shirt. Then, people saw something they had rarely seen: Astrid crying.

It was soon concluded that Hiccup had ran away, but was caught by a dragon. The village had seen the bruises and the teens told some people how Spitelout beat his nephew. Also, Hiccup had told his friends not to avenge him, that it would be useless...It seemed that the boy had ran away, but was caught by a dragon before he could even leave the island. Most of people in the village felt sorry and horrified for the boy, and they started to blame Spitelout. His harsh treatment on the boy was the reason why he ran away. Astrid didn't loose any time finding Hiccup's blasted uncle and cousin.

"It's all your fault!" she yelled at the two, "It's your fault he is dead! You pushed him to do that!"

"None of us could have..."

"YOU'RE MURDERERS!"

Those words made Spitelout tense but seemed to have a bigger effect on Snotlout who paled. She turned toward the boy:

"You wanted his place didn't you?! You murdered your own cousin for that! But I swear your life is gonna be a living hell!"

Her parents took her away, not wanting their daughter to have problems. The twins and even Fishlegs, who was usually a pacifist, swore they would indeed make those two pay. In spite of what he believed, they did like Hiccup a lot, Fishlegs appreciated his intelligence and kindness; the twins liked how funny Hiccup could be and the fact he respected them in spite of the fact everyone called them idiots. The four of them swore that Spitelout and Snotlout would definitely be miserable.

Unknowingly to them, unknowingly to the tribe, something happened some times after Hiccup's disappearance. In the West, beyond the sea, a new tribe started to rise, a very strange tribe, with a very strange chief, always masked. Ships of slaves were attacked and the people destined to be enslaved freed. Beyond the sea, rumours started to spread, as dragons in armor started to be seen...On an island far away, a tribe mounting dragons and freeing slaves was starting to rise and Berk would eventually hear of them.

 **Here we go! Now, don't hesitate to tell me what you think. If you like badass armies of dragons, you should like what's about to come.**


	2. Fire!

**Chapter 2**

 **Hi everybody! Thanks to everyone who reviewed. That one wasn't easy, that the least I can say!**

 **Warning 1: While there will be no descriptive sex scenes, our characters are young Viking adults, they already experienced sexuality, relationships, battles and alcohol (just as you're just about to see). Hiccup and Astrid din't wait for their one true love to do that. I respect people who'd rather be chaste, it's their choice and no one should force themselves to have sex just for the sake of it. But you're not a heartless player or a 'slut' if you had dates and sex with more than one person in your life. So don't get shocked if such things are mentioned. (Yeah, I'm aware I should have posted this warning in the first chapter, I forgot, my bad!)**

 **Warning 2: Just like in _Rider and the Beast_ and _Dragons' Prince_ , Toothless isn't the only Night Fury around, there are others. Also, Hiccup did found ways to tame more species. I know it diverges from the canon a little, but it's for the sake of a badass army. **

**Enjoy! And don't hesitate to tell me when you grammar mistakes!**

 **Five years later:**

The night was peaceful for once on Berk, no dragons attack and a beautiful moonless sky which allowed the stars to shine in all their glory. Some teens and young adults had taken this occasion to make themselves a firecamp and drink some mead; among them were Astrid, Fishlegs and the twins. Alina, Astrid's little sister, had wanted to come with them, but there was no way Astrid would take the twelve years-old with her while there was alcohol and horny people. She was watching as the twins were dancing while singing like crazy, making everyone laugh.

"A drink to the stupidity of our chief!" Yelled one boy while pouring some mead.

Some cheers were heard, the louder were definitely Hiccup's former friends.

"Dumbass made us loose ships, but we don't need that idiot to be great!" Tuffnutt yelled, still dancing.

They all approved those words, Berk's stocks were already quite low, but now they lost ships! When she thought about it, Astrid was aware that it wasn't the best time to have fun, Spitelout had done something really stupid recently and maybe it would bring worse consequences in the future than the loss of boats. Yet it could also be the reason why they needed to relax a little while they still could. Anyway, nothing wrong happened for now and maybe their fears would be proven unjustified.

"We're Berk's true pride!" Ruffnutt yelled.

"You're Berk's true drunkards!"

The twins snarled at this and Ruffnutt eventually stumbled only to be caught in time by Astrid. She laughed out loud, alcohol was making her giddy.

"Oh thank you my beauty," she uttered.

She then looked at Astrid expectingly and the other girl rolled her eyes, still smiling.

"You'll have to thank the mead for this."

Ruffnutt smiled triumphally and Astrid approached her lips, the drunk girl was still leaning against her for balance...Astrid stepped away suddenly and Ruff fell on the ground suddenly. Everyone laughed, Ruff included:

"That girl is the hottest but she is cruel," she jokingly claimed, "the gods are teasing us with her!"

Gathering herself, she sat up and uttered in a drunk tone which was supposed to be seductive:

"One day, I'll definitely put you in my bed."

"Nope, I don't like girls, you know that."

"Oh come on!"

Astrid laughed and rolled her eyes once more. Ruffnutt had discovered that she liked boys and girls alike and one day she told Astrid that even if she was certainly not in love with her, she really thought she was hot. The thing was, Astrid had no wish to sleep with another girl, she kissed some one evening when she had been a little drunk, but she didn't wish to go farer because she definitely preffered men. She saw that Ruff was comforting herself perfectly with one of the fishermen who was about their age. She sat at Fishlegs's side while he was finishing his mead.

"We could say that this is a feast for our last quest, it definitely went well!" The boy declared.

She giggled; their task had been to fight dragons on an islet where a ship had crashed to get whatever it contained back. Some gold and some dragons' heads had been their reward, as well as the privilege to boast before Spitelout and Snotlout who weren't as victorious as them during their last expedition. Astrid had given them a 'welcome' of her own.

"Oh yes, those dragons definitely had no idea of what was coming toward them!"

"Our dear insugent did kill a Monstruous Nightmare," Tuff exclaimed while pointing to Astrid.

The girl bowed her head slightly at the mention of her nickname: the 'insurgent'. After Hiccup's disappearance, Astrid hadn't stopped disrespecting, insulting and contesting the chief, oh no! She earned troubles often and was thrown in jail more than once. That's how she got her nickname, and she liked it. Fishlegs and the twins would often join her, but she was clearly the one leading their little group whenever they would disobey or contest the chief.

Once, Spitelout threatened to sentence her to death for her behaviour, but a lot of people, Gothi and Gobber among them, protested violently against this. It was also because of them that she would never stay in jail for too long. Hiccup's disappearance didn't leave people of Berk indifferent, most of them blamed Spitelout for this, some (though they were rarer) even acknowledged they played a part in it by not doing anything. There were other jackass who said the boy was the only one to blame. Yet whatever people said, Hiccup's uncle couldn't be punished since he hadn't killed the young boy himself. But Hooligans who blamed him just refused to see another kid die because of him. Truth to be told, Spitelout was giving her ammunition to humiliate and bring him dow: he was a loosy chief. Sure, he was a good fighter and he handled dragons' attack quite well, but he wasn't as organized, as devoted to his people and as smart as Stoick. She wasn't the only one to stand up to him, but others would still use more respect than her.

She drank some more mead, still careful not to be too drunk since she would have work to do tomorrow. Their little party continued for some times until they went back home. The four friends were the last ones to leave. Astrid raised her drink one more time, with a serious expression:

"A last one...A real toast this time, to Hiccup's memory."

The four other raised their drink with serious faces as well.

"To Hiccup," they all said.

It was their last drink before they left. Though they went on with life and still enjoyed it, they never forgot Hiccup, nor the injustice caused by his uncle. Something actually pretty strange happened after Hiccup's death: the dragon's attack almost seized, occuring only on occasions and in a less violent way. For three years, Berk was almost totally peaceful. It was as if the dragons themselves had decided to let Berk grieve in peace. Yet recently, the attacks started once more, no one could explain those strange peaceful years.

Fishlegs and Astrid were living close to each other, so they walked home together. The twins were still singing from afar. They passed near the harbour and Astrid stopped.

"Wait..."

She started to go down and Fishlegs followed, wondering what she was doing. She went on the docks and sat there, facing the sea. It was a beautiful sight, with the stars and the dark water. Fishlegs went at her side. Yet something was nagging her:

"We have almost no ships left...What an idiot..."

"I know...Going against the Endrisians...What a stupid idea. Let's hope they don't want revenge."

A stupid idea indeed, going to attack Endris, this island populated by a strange and unholy tribe who lived with dragons instead of killing them. It was really the strangest tribe ever, worth of the weirdest tales one could invent. It was only four years ago that they started to grow. Berk hadn't paid much attention to the rumors at first, but soon every Viking tribe had to acknowledge them.

Formed mainly by slaves freed from their masters, poor peasants and poor prostitutes, those people lived now on an island in the West, one which used to be so infested with dragons that no one dared to come on it. They were coming from different places, there were mostly Vikings but also slaves from stranger lands, with different customs, langages and ideas. That should have been enough to be distinguished, but their chief, the one who built the tribe, had taught them to ride dragons and (according to what Astrid heard) the whole village had infrastructure especially made for dragons, and even small children would play with them!

Yet of all the strange elements of this already unbelievable tribe, their young chief was probably the weirdest. He would go by the name of Fury and according to other chiefs who meet him, he would always wear a mask whenever he would meet strangers and he was riding one of the deadliest dragons ever: a Night Fury. Even worse (or more impresseive), he had an entire group of those black dragons which formed an almost invicible troop, and yet of all the island he was the only one who had been able to ride one. Astrid wasn't so sure about that, it seemed unbelievable.

"I heard different things about Fury," Astrid stated, "I believe the ones who says he was disfigured."

"I don't know, I heard a trader say once that he was quite handsome."

"Nah, why would he hide his face if it was the case?" Astrid pointed out. "I don't believe those who says he is Loki himself."

"Neither do I. But some says he actually has dragon scales on his face, that he is a hybrid," Fishlegs murmured while shivering.

There were indeed a lot of tales about Fury, the chief of Endris, but that was to be expected. His face was unknown, and his story too, or more exactly, there were so many tales and rumours that people didn't really know what to believe.

"I heard that Fury was a boy captured to be sold as a slave who escaped his fate and was taken in by dragons who treated him like one of their own," Fishlegs said.

"Why would dragons do that? There is probably magic behind it," Astrid declared.

"I don't know. They say he tamed a Night Fury and took on his own to free people taken unfairly as slaves and found them a place to live."

"Noble of him, I can't deny it. It's still weird."

Though this version should have been considered by all like the true one because it had been given by Fury himself and the rest of the Endrisians, a lot of people were questionning it. After all, not only his face was always masked but it was said that Fury wasn't his real name. Yet no one knew his real identity. That was the reasons why so much rumours were spread: Fury was Loki himself, or his son, or he was disfigured, or he was some monstruous hybrid.

"They defeated both the Outcasts and the Berserkers, I wonder how Spitelout thought this was a good idea..."

"And the Berserkers are actually still alive, the Outcasts however..."

For an unknow reason, the dragon riders had attacked the Outcasts years ago and butchered them, not leaving any alive. Alvin and his people were dreaded, so this had been impressive. Yet recently, in order to gain himself some glory, Spitelout made a rash and dumb decision: he went to attack them. Of course, the Endrisians had defended themselves well, and the Hooligans were lucky that only a few of their warriors died. A lot of their ships were sunk however, and they had to return promptly.

"He is a freaking ass! Do you remember when he threatened to execute me?" Asked she, "I remember everyone standing up for me..."

"Yeah, he sent us on a quest after that, so you could earn his forgiveness!"

They both laughed at this. She had been charged to bring back gold which had been stolen by pirates. She had actually enjoyed it, Fishlegs and the twins had been with her. Adventure, exploration, danger, fights, glory...Only things she loved! She had been sent on other expeditions after this one, and to Spitelout's great displeasure 'the insurgent' earned herself quite a reputation while doing quests supposed to punish her. For Astrid, this was one of the numerous proves of his stupidity, that's why they were laughing today. Fishlegs became serious:

"You know...I'm quite afraid that they'll attack us. I mean, any other Viking tribe would do as such, and a tribe still young has even more to proove."

It was indeed something that had everyone worried, and the Hooligans knew that it could happen. Vikings' tradition demanded revenge for such an offense. Now in some circumstances peace could be negociated, if both tribes were out of ressources for example. Berk was certainly laking ressources recently, but what about the Endrisians? Now given how strange this tribe was, maybe they wouldn't conform to Vikings' ways, but still...A tribe not avenging themselves would appear weak, it wasn't only a matter of tradition.

Astrid was about to say something when suddenly, she heard something that made her tense: loud flaps, like wings. She then saw wat the night had hidden until now: shadows in the night, advancing toward Berk.

"Dragons!"

Fishlegs was taken aback, but he saw it too. They ran back to the village and sent the alarm; soon, the warriors were preparing themselves to fight. Alina went out of the house to find her sister, but Atsrid urged her to go back inside. Most Hooligans went to protect the cattles and sheep, when suddenly the night was enlightened by fire. The boats were attaked by several dragons. Their last boats!

"The ships! Protect the ships!" Yelled Spitelout

Warriors ran to the harbour, but Astrid had a bad feeling. Why were dragons attacking their boats? They wouldn't do that usually! Yet no dragon was attacking the village, they all seemed to be in the harbour.

"Wait, no one is protecting the stocks," she yelled.

As those words were pronounced, several shots of purple flames were shot and reduced Spitelout's house to a ruin. The entire village was illuminated for a second; Astrid was breathless at the sight and then she heard several yells:

"Night Furies!"

Astrid saw immediately there weren't Night Furies only, there were several dragons in the sky, she yelled that the village was about to be attacked and went to a catapult. Vikings all prepared themselves to use the catapults, Astrid and the twins were about to shoot with one when suddenly two Gronkles and two Nadders came to attack them, and for the first time Astrid saw the dragons had armors. Armors on dragons?! Jumping from their backs, four warriors attacked them: Endrisians! Astrid and the twins fought with all their might, the shieldmaiden almost killed one of them, had it been for one of the Gronkle who charged at her in order to stop her. She only survived because she had been swift enough to dodge.

When the dragon riders backed away to jump back on their beasts, they thought they won...until they realized the catapult had been destroyed by the dragons while the humans were fighting. Soon, the same had been done with every single catapult. Hooligans were used to dragons attacking, but here it was different, usually, the beast would just come and try to burn and steal thing. Here, not only the dragons had efficient armors, but they were led by men who carefully planned a strategy. They were starting to realize the difference. Endrisans were taking their revenge...

After the catapults, the dragons and their riders attacked the watch towers, Astrid threw herself into the fight, she maimed a Monstruous Nightmare, and almost got killed in return when she got violently hit by a shield. She was thrown on the ground hard and only had time to roll away before the handle of an axe could hit her head. She sent her axe at the man and when he blocked she sent her elbow at his throat. He was smothered, his eyes widened in shock. Astrid was about to take advantage and finish him, when the man disappeared. She lifted her head to see him being raised in the air by a dragon.

Two other shot of purple flame hit the tower hard and screams echoed. Hooligans were fighting dragons and riders brvaely, but it wouldn't save the towers as Night Furies form above were destroying those with precise shots. Astrid was still fighting yet, axe against sword this time, when she heard:

"THIEVES! THIEVES ARE RAIDING THE STOCKS!"

Oh no! She kicked her adversary in the stomach and ran toward the stock. It had all been a distraction! How didn't they see that sooner?! Approaching the stocks, she got her answer: only vague shadows could be seen. As some Hooligans approached, ready to attack, a red form suddenly appeared before their eyes to spit acid before them: changewings! The thieves were dressed in black, and on the changewings, they would have hardly been seen by anyone!

She got closer to the thieves when suddenly, the ground under her feet was lifted violently. The world around her spinned as she was projected in the air like a raggdoll. Seconds seemed endless before she crashed against the ground. Pain spread through her body, and she lifted her head only to feel her blood froze. A gigantic mouth with hundreds of fangs were before her, with cruel eyes and a spiky round body: a whispering death! She never fought any of those! She jumped back on her feet, grabbed her axe. Some blood was running on her temple, her head was aching, but she wouldn't let that stop her.

The beast whipped its tail at her and she dodged before sending her axe at it. A deep cut appeared on the beasts tail. A wave of spikes were thrown at her and she drew her shield just in time. The dragon's head crashed against her shield, throwing her on the ground once more. She threw her axe at its eyes when it plunged toward her, and though she missed those, she sliced it's face badly. The beast shrieked and returned in the ground. Before Astrid could wonder where it was, she felt heavy claws gripping her shoulders and she was once more thown to the ground hard but by a Nadder this time. She threw her axe at the beast but the armor protect the beast, and her axe fell on the ground, defeated. She had cuts on her face, and some blood was getting into her eyes, blinding her.

While she stood up as quickly as she could and picked up her axe. Whipping the blood off of her eyes, she saw that this wasn't the only one. There were at least five others fighting. Anyone trying to get to the thieves were getting either attacked by the whispering deaths or by Nadders, and whoever had the chance to get past them would get attacked by the changewing who would throw acid at them. Archers gathered to try to kill the thieves at distance, and she got out of their way. They were preparing themselves to shoot when a deafening sound invaded their ear, and they were all thrown to the ground. Astrid who was close by thought she was going mad even with her hands against her ears. She saw a big Thunderdrum, making a big effort, she took her hands off her ears, whipped the blood away from her eyes and seizing an axe abandoned on the ground, she threw it at the beast. She felt victorious as it planted itself in its wing. The painful sound stopped and the beast flew away clumsily.

Though the archers were saved, they soon realized it wasn't even worth trying anymore; the thieves were gone and the livestocks had been pillaged. The same thing happened as well with the sheep and cattles. This time, only the Changewings melting into the night would plunge from the sky and take those. The Vikings were just unable to approach them. Not only the Whispering Deaths would defend them, but also the Nadders, some Monstruous Nightmares, Night Furies, and the Endrisians warriors. Dragons and men alike had very effective armors.

In the middle of the night, a figure distinguished itself. Attacking Spitelout with ferocity, a warrior using a fiery sword was seen. The chief thought for a moment that he was fighting some devil: he was masked and had a flaming sword. People could lit up swords with oil, but it usually wouldn't last long. This one however wouldn't stop burning. Yes, for a moment, Spitelout thought this was truly a devil sent by the gods to punish him for his faults.

Eventually, something incredible happened: though they were far from loosing the battle, the Endrisians retreated, getting on their dragons' backs and flying away. The most foolish aming Hooligans thought this meant victory, but it was soon proved wrong. Sure, the Endrisians left, but it was to enjoy everything they stole during their raid. Astrid was exhausted, she had fought bravely, but she still got hurt multiple times. Blood had stopped running in her eyes, thank Thor. Her mother went to her and helped her to regain balance as she was starting to stumble.

"Help other people, we have to gather the wounded in the Great Hall, I'm checking on Alina."

Her mom left while Astrid was trying to make sense of her words. The Great Hall, the wounded...She saw Ruff on the ground, holding her abdomen. She checked up on her and saw no blood, she probably received a strong blow however. She picked her up and helped to walk, where were Tuff and Fishlegs?!

"Fishlegs! Tuff!"

Other warriors were picking up wounded people. She walked on shaky legs, fighting to keep balance with Ruff leaning on her. She was scared, what if her other friends were dead? And what was wrong with Ruff? She asked her but the girl wouldn't answer. Sure there was no blood, but it didn't mean she was okay. She yelled with even more force:

"FISHLEGS! TUFF!"

No answer, and she was starting to despair. She saw Gobber carrying a young woman who was obviously wounded.

"They're...near the stocks..." Gobber uttered when he was at her level.

Se went there as quickly as she could, it seemed like an eternity before she saw Fishlegs lying on the ground, and Tuff shaking him.

"Tuff..."

"He won't wake up...Astrid..."

"Take your sister...I'm taking care of him."

Tuff did as he was told and she kneeled to Fishlegs. The boy was only unconscious, he didn't seem to have big damages either, though he had bruises and cuts. She heard Ruffnutt moan, and the girl told them with some difficulty that she had been punched in the abdomen twice by some big warrior and that one of her ribs was really hurting. Astrid hoped it wasn't broken, yet she was relieved that her friends were all alive. Her mom was alive too...Alina...Did their mom found Alina? Most homes seemed fine, she hoped it was the same for hers because her sister had been in it. Fishlegs regained consciousness and she helped him to walk to the Great Hall while Tuffnutt was helping his sister.

The sun was rising on a sad day. The population of Berk had no almost food, no ressources, no gold, or ships anymore and they had way less weapons as well. Their catapults and watch towers were also gone. That's what the teens heard while they were walking. All the Hooligans had to eat was the food they kept home and it wouldn't last for very long. Strangely enough however, there were mostly wounds but only a handful of people died during the battle and most homes were pretty fine and only had fixable damages. Only Spitelout's house had been entirely destroyed. It was as if the Endrisians did their best to win without many victims. Fishlegs had his own explanation for that, while Astrid was helping him to walk toward the Great Hall, he whinned:

"They're gonna make us rot here...Without food or anything to leave...We'll go mad and attack each other..."

"Fishlegs stop it! We'll...We'll find something..."

Never in her life she seemed so unsure of what she was saying. She couldn't help but feel fear, what if Fishlegs was right? She could imagine Hooligans being hungry, starting to look at their weakest neighbours and thinking that meat was meat after all...This would be indeed a very cruel punishment, but people riding dragons were surely ready to do that! She tried to push away such thoughts and compose herself. No! They would find something, they had to!

The Endrisians's ships were seen on the sea, far enough from the island. They weren't trying to reach the harbours, they were receiving the booty and probably taking care of the wounded ones. Without any ships or catapults, there were no ways to attack them, and any moves would mean another dragon attack like this one anyway.

They reached the Great Hall, the majority of the village was here, helping wounded ones or trying to assess their situation. Astrid saw her little sister trying to help people with her mom and she was reassured, those she loved the most were alive! Spitelout was giving orders and she felt a blinding anger, one which gave her back strenght along with the relief she previously felt. He was the one responsible! This time that murderer truly brought Berk to its ruin! She saw Snotlout nearby.

"It's all your father's fault, he is the one responsible for this!"

Snotlout heard but answered nothing. Astrid heard Ruff moan, and while Fishlegs was definitely getting his spirits back, she saw that Ruff wasn't getting better. She let go of Fishlegs and helped Tuff to support her.

"DRAGONS!"

Everyone looked up and saw that the sky was starting to get filled up with dragons. With the hand that wasn't holding Ruffnutt, Astrid grabbed her axe once more: it was starting again! The dragons posted themselves on roofs, surrounding the Great Hall and the Hooligans nearby. All the wounded were gathered in that one single place! They would attack the Great Hall and finish them all!

Then, suddenly, two black forms plunged from the sky and landed on the ground just before Spitelout. A masked rider was mounting one of the black dragons. Fury! Some other dragons without riders also landed on the ground near him, and shrieked at the Hooligans who backed away from them.

People were watching the masked chief with either fear or despise. The two Night Furies were growling threateningly, as if to warn anyone that they shouldn't touch their master. The metal of their armors seemed to shine on their black scales. Astrid could see there were three other smaller Night Furies on a roof. There were also Scauldrons, Thunderdrums, dragons she had never seen before and almost all of them had armors. One in particular was impressive: it was a grey dragon mounted by a girl with black hair, its whole body seemed sharp as if it was made of metal and spikes. Two smaller dragons like this were at their side.

She hadn't noticed earlier, but the chief was a runt and it astonished Astrid. How could such a man tame dangerous beasts like this? Yet there was something about him...Spitelout was standing still and breathless, obviously afraid but also red from anger. The masked man advanced toward him, dressed in an armor of black leather.

"Good morning! I hope you'll excuse my hastiness, I guess you didn't have a really peaceful night," the man exclaimed with sass.

"What do you want, you monster?!"

"What I want?! But I came here to ask you that question! After all, you're the one who came to my island with no warning. It was very rude, by the way, to come unnannouced. You tried to attack us, in a very clumsy way I must say, so I decided to pay you the same curtesy but with more adress."

"You unholy spawn of Loki! We're ready to fight to death..."

Spitelout was interrupted by a laugh.

"Oh, no need to be so dramatic, I don't wish you all to die. After all why should your warriors and people pay for your incapacities, Spitelout?"

He looked around, his mask only revealing his eyes and his mouth. Hooligans were not really expecting those kind of words, the stranger continued:

"I often heard of Hooligans, and I often heard of Stoick the Vast...A great chief, a man of honour. It would be a shame to destroy that island which counted so many great Vikings, only because of an incompetent one."

Spitelout looked offended by this, and Astrid couldn't help but think that she would have been delighted to hear another chief speak to him like that in other circumstances.

"What are you saying?"

"Do you really all think that you owe your life only to your ability to fight? Why do you think that your houses got spared? Think of the way we fought, and think of what we did to other tribes. It's because I asked my warriors to avoid killing you as much as they could. Even the dragons had been led to push you back only."

Those words were insulting, but many Vikings realized it was true: the Endrisians had backed away each time they were done destroying or stealing something. They had rarely tried to kill anyone. Fury went on:

"I didn't came here to kill you, but to demand your loyalty. I offer peace to Berk, for a price of course."

"And if I refuse?"

"Try to think, Spitelout, what will happen? You have almost no weapons, no ressources or food left, absolutely no ships. At my signal my whispering deaths will destroy your wells from under the ground to deprive you of water. If necessary they'll dig the ground of that island until it's shallow and crumble all over. I can change my orders and tell my people and my dragons to massacre you. I can destroy everything to the very earth you're walking on."

As if they wanted to confirm that, some whispering deaths shrieked and their hundreds of teeth rotated in their mouths.

"Alright," Spitelout sighed. "We'll negociate."

Negociations...This meant hope, yet Astrid and Fishlegs looked at each other, thinking exactly the same thing: it would come at a big price.

 **So here it is! I hope you liked it, I'll update other stories first, but the next chapter is already started.**


	3. Last Resort

**Chapter 3**

 **Last Resort**

 **Thanks for your reviews guys! It was really nice to read those! I wanted to update earlier, but I really wanted to post the next chapter of Little Hiccup first.**

 **I'll answer some guests below, as I can't answer you in any other way.**

 **Also, keep in my mind that though I like to include some facts about Viking culture, this is still HTTYD universe, and anyway the Viking culture before the arrival of christianity still held a lot of unanswered questions.**

Two days had passe since Berk's defeat at the hands of the Endrisians, and the atmosphere was tense to say the least. Perched on a rock near the forest, Astrid 'the insurgent', was observing her village from afar and the dragons roaming around. Berk used to be the most prosperous island around, with a succession of great chiefs. She had a bitter smile: this reputation was now in the past. Today, the tribe was ruined, the chief was the lowliest of the low, dragons were roaming freely around and they couldn't do anything about it.

A Monstruous Nightmare wearing an armor flew above her and she gritted her teeth. It was as if her axe was begging for a good kill, yet it wasn't the dragons she wished to massacre, but the fool who dared to call himself Berk's chief. Yet she could kill none, murdering Spitelout would make her and her family meet their doom, as for the dragons...It could have made her cry out of anger and despair when she thought about it: Hooligans had sunk at such a low level! Now all they could do was try to rebuild everything and hope it wouldn't last or worsen.

The negociations with Fury were still going on. The first thing he asked to Spitelout had been the dragons imprisoned in the arena. Those were exchanged against some food and ressources, but it was still not enough.

She had spent her morning in the woods, hunting, not wanting to stay in the village. She comforted herself by the fact that the Endrisians had a heck of an army, it justified a little more the crushing defeat they experienced. Not only the warriors were well trained, had good weapons, but they also had dragons wearing armors of a very strong metal. The Hooligans weren't the first to be defeated by them after all. For this reason, most Viking tribes tried to befriend or at least avoid the dragon riders. But not Spitelout, of course!

She heard steps behind her and was about to yell at the person coming to leave her alone but stopped herself when she saw Fishlegs. His face still had bruises.

"Hey," the boy shyly said. "How do you do?"

"As fine as one can be right now. How is Ruff?"

Turned out their friend had a bruised rib, though it would have been worse, the healer who treated her told them she'd have to be careful.

"She is better, she can walk but slowly and she'll have to be careful," Fishlegs summed up. "You know, I heard some Endrisians boasting about what they did to the Outcasts years ago, they probably wanted to scare people around. Granted, the Outcasts were rotten but it's still quite awful. Alvin was the one who suffered the most..."

"Serves him well," Astrid groaned, "I wish Fury did the same to Spitelout!"

"That would have been a little too much..."

"Why? He is the one who got us in that situation!"

Somehow, she hated Spitelout more than their invaders. After all, he was the one who started the war, and the Endrisians had proposed to negociate peace even though they had won. She still hated to see some of them boasting around with their dragons, yet they weren't the worse according to her.

She looked once more at the beasts roaming on the island freely, and wondered what her father would have said if he had seen this. Nothing nice for sure. At least his death had spared him this sight. Another comfort she had was that she would have many new reasons to insult and bring Spitelout down. Her thoughts were interrupted by a roar and she snarled while some dragons and their riders flew above the island, passing near them. Fishlegs was a little afraid obviously.

"Let's hope they won't stay for long...At least it's not a Night Fury, they are not the biggest, but they are scary."

"Keep your head cool, Fishlegs. We must do that, otherwise we'll sink even lower."

"I know...It's funny, I always thought that the tales about Fury being always masked was just a story, I didn't think that someone would actually go everywhere with a mask on!"

"Yeah, I must admit it's pretty unbelievable. And creepy."

"I wonder what they are gonna do now. They're trying to find something to convince the Endrisians to give us ressources and make peace, there isn't much we can give," Fishlegs murmured. "I hoped the dragons we gave them would be enough, but no..."

"We had only a few dragons, and common species only. Fury can get some of those anywhere, no wonder it wouldn't be enough. Have you seen his army? He gains only a handful of soldiers, even I have to admit it's far from enough!" She sighed deeply and had a bitter smile: "But they should have expected that: bastards stole almost everything! What could we give?"

"Oh, it's not as they had much to steal to start with, the stocks were already low" Fishlegs sighed. "Maybe they expected us to have gold? After all maybe they didn't know that the tribe wasn't doing so well on that side."

Astrid realized it was probably the case indeed, though the Endrisians had pillaged the stocks, they hadn't stole any riches. The treasure room had always been hidden under what looked like a regular house and thankfully, the Whispering Deaths had dug the ground around the stocks. The Endrisians probably thought Berk still possessed a lot of money, after all the Hooligans hadn't been eager to let everyone else know they were quite poor and they had done their best to hide it. Many tribes around knew they weren't as fine as they used to, but they had no real idea of their actual level of poverty.

"You're right...They probably thought we would buy it back and that they would get a good booty of gold..."

"Exactly...Maybe they also thought we had more dragons than that." he sighed, musing on how their tribe was exactly standing up to their reputation anymore. "At least you've got something."

He pointed to the two big rabbits and duck she got. She told him she had planned to stay in the woods all day to hunt but she had broken the string of her bow and she needed another one. It was one thing she disliked with bows: having to bother about the string. Having to collect back her arrows was tedious too, especially for someone whose patience was limited; yet arrows were better for hunting, she used her axe only for fighting.

"We should go back to the village. I'll put the rabbits in the livestocks later."

"Yeah. I was helping with some repairs," Fishlegs said while they started to walk. "We don't have enough wood for now, but we're collecting some in the forest. Once it's all done, we'll rebuild ships again if we can get back enough ressources. That will take some times, but it's not hopeless."

Fishlegs was speaking with optimism, yet she perfectly knew that it would be really hard to get over what happened. Spitelout had made a very stupid decision when he decided to attack Endris, worse than usual. Dagur the Deranged had been crushed, the Outcasts had been slaughtered, yet Spitelout had decided to go against them! Odin, he had reached a new level of stupidity!

Fury and some of his people had came back twice on the island to negociate and then returned on their ships thank to their dragons, the second meeting had occurred this morning. Of course the chief of Endris wouldn't just offer peace and leave, for a Viking he was actually merciful to give them a chance to get peace without much losses. That's what Astrid told Spitelout. After Fury and his dragons departed, she had given him a slap in the face before the entire village and yelled: _You should be glad he gives us a way to fix your mistakes! All that to prove you're as good as Stoick. Well we have the proof that you're not! This is all your fault!_ She wasn't the only one to think that. Her mother, Olga, who usually told her to calm down didn't stop her this time.

She reached her home soon enough, it wasn't as damaged as some had been. Astrid and Fishlegs parted, wishing each other good luck with their respective tasks. She wondered if her mother would be home. Her sister Alina would probably be out, she had been sent to find mushrooms and berries by their mother. Olga said she would be cutting wood in the forest with some other workers. The young woman wished her father was here, he had been the one teaching her to hunt. She remembered him fondly, he died a year after Hiccup. As she was about to enter, she was intercepted by Gobber.

"Astrid! Lass!"

She wondered what was wrong, she could see on his face he was worried. After her father's death, Gobber had often been a fatherly figure to her, just like he had been to Hiccup. He looked uneasy.

"Hey, what's happening?"

"I have to talk to you."

"What? Is it my mother, my sister?!"

"No, no, they are fine. No, it's the negociations...Where are you going with those?" Asked he while pointing to her kills.

"I'll bring the duck home for us and the neighbours and I'll put the rabbits in the livestocks. Now, what is it?"

"Alright, do you mind if I come in? It will be easier to speak."

She accepted, her mother and sister were still out, and she had the feeling it was for the best. She put down her bow and arrows but kept her axe, just in case some dragons decided to venture into their home.

"Fury propose to give us back what they stole if we can offer something in exchange. We don't really have much to offer him, that's the problem," he said while sitting at the table. "We have a few gold but we're gonna need it after what happened, we can't offer food anymore either."

"I figured out already that it would be difficult, but the village isn't destroyed yet."

"It's the same with all our ressources, we're really gonna need those," continued Gobber, "So...Spitelout had an idea you see...There is one thing Fury still doesn't have that we could offer him."

"What?"

"A wife."

"What!"

She looked at Gobber with wide eyes. It seemed unbelieveable that such words had came out of his mouth.

"I told them Fury had many women on his island to marry but they still proposed it to him, after all if he had a Hooligan wife, it would be definitely good for peace..."

"Gobber, don't tell me that bastard dared to propose me?!"

"No..."

"Don't tell me they'll give her Alina! She is only twelve!"

"No one has been selected yet. They proposed Fury to choose a girl of the tribe as his wife, any without a husband. He accepted. We're gathering all the girls eligible. But...Yes twelve years old have been judged old enough to be at least engaged to him."

She gasped in shock, she couldn't believe it! Alina could be proposed! It could happen to marry people young, sure, but she was still shocked to imagine her sister, who was still a child in her eyes, being married to a man.

"I did disagree since the very beginning," Gobber continued. "I am against giving a girl to that demon, but the rest of the council agreed to this, not wholeheartedly. It's the only solution it seems."

"Really?! Whoring out some poor girl to someone who could be a monster or Loki himself!What an honourable solution! But what could I expect from that walking-garbage..."

She started to pace through the room. Her most practical side knew it was true, a marriage was indeed the best solution, if the tribe gave their ressources the whole village would suffer cruelly. But it was _Fury_...What if she was chosen? She would become Fury's wife? For once she regretted that on Berk, Shieldmaidens were allowed to eventually marry to become regular warriors. That wasn't the case with Bog-Burglars, oh she should have been born one! The simple idea of marrying that demon was revolting! Yet it probably wouldn't happen, there were other girls...

It dawned on her: if she wasn't choosen, another girl would. Maybe Ruffnutt, maybe Alina, maybe simply a young and more vulnerable one...She could help but imagine Alina in tears, being forced to mount on the Night Fury's back behind the masked chief...

"When?"

"You have to gather at the Great Hall this afternoon."

"Fine...Did you tell Alina?"

"No..."

"Then I'll do it."

She left the house and Gobber went to see other families with other girls eligible. She walked to find her sister, she hoped Alina wouldn't be too scared. Marrying Fury...Oh gosh, she couldn't imagine that!She found her sister at the border of the village with a basket of berries and mushrooms. Putting on a smile of her face, she went to her:

"Hey, Astrid! Look what I found."

"It's good...Alina, there is something I have to tell you."

She explained her the whole thing and her sister appeared to be as shocked as she was.

"They're crazy! He is a monster!"

"I know...But we have to do it."

"You're gonna yell at Spitelout again, aren't you?"

"No doubt about that. Let's get home, we still have time."

"Astrid, I don't want to marry him."

"...Don't worry, I'm not letting them take you away."

She meant it, there was no way those monsters would take her sister! They ate lunch quickly and went to the Great Hall soon, waiting would have made it worse. Spitelout and the council were there, along with girls who were slowly starting to gather. The families were around, scared for their daughters, sisters and nieces. She crossed the stare of Snotlout who turned away, looking embarassed. He hardly dared to talk to her since Hiccup's death, since she called him a murderer. He had even grown less boastful. She gave him a scorning look. Then she saw Ruffnutt standing there, her arms crossed. She and Alina went to her:

"I see you didn't escape it either," Astrid stated simply.

"Nope, but I swear I'll make that guy's life a living hell if he choose me."

For the first time in the afternoon, she genuinely smiled: Ruffnutt would definitely hold on to her promise! Yet she felt worried when she saw her friend wince in pain because of her rib. Sure it wasn't a big wound, but it still gave her a disadvantage. She saw Spitelout advancing toward some girls to order them not to cry. It enraged her, she had controlled her anger with Gobber and Alina, but right now, she decided to let it flow. The young woman advanced toward Spitelout with a fury they hadn't seen in her eyes since Hiccup Haddock disappeared. Spitelout noticed her, and she didn't miss the spark of fear in his eyes. She tried to punch him but her arms were seized by Munch and Bucket who didn't want the situation to be worse. She got out of their grip quickly and yelled:

"Don't you dare to blame these girls for crying, you rat-eating pathetic rascal! They have all the right to do so! Sacrificing one of your tribe because of an useless and laughable war you started! Wasn't it enough to have your nephew's blood on your hands..."

"Silence, you little bitch!"

"Oh yeah, I'm a bitch! But you know what? It's better than being like you! You only wish you were a bitch!

"You might be a woman but I swear I'll have you beaten and you'll be presented like this to Fury!"

"Threaten as much as you want, but I'm not stopping! A piece of trash like you has no right to stop a woman like me from talking! I'll speak as I wish and you'd rather get ready to swallow it whole! If your brother was still alive such a thing would have never happened! He would have been able to win this war or obtain peace in a dignified way!"

Red appeared on his cheek, and several people agreeing with Astrid could be heard in the crowd. Most of people were furious with the chief right now, and Astrid intervention couldn't be more encouraged. Even some who used to side up with Spitelout were now feeling betrayed by him. She knew they were at her side, no matter how much she was threatened. She went on:

"Hiccup would have done a much better job, he was smart, truly smart while you hardly knows the meaning of the word! And he had some fucking pride! But instead of a true Haddock we got a dog who crawled on his knees before those unholy spawns of..."

"Astrid, stop!"

This time it was Gobber's voice, his eyes were pleading. She rolled her eyes, but for the sake of him she stopped. Spitelout would have definitely loved to yell at her as well, but he was exhausted, mentally and physically. Everyone was reproaching him what happened, and he knew it was his fault indeed. Gathering himself, the chief spoke up:

"One of you will be given to Fury. He said he would choose among those who volunteers. Those who does can step up, they'll be introduced to him first. If none of you is willing to propose herself, then a girl will be choosen, willing or not..."

"That's hideous!" Someone in the crowd yelled.

"Enough! Now, any volunteer?"

No girl stepped at first. Astrid looked at Ruff and then at her little sister. Alina was a brave kid, sure, but right now she was pale and trembling. Only those who would volunteer...But Spitelout also said a girl would be choosen if none stepped forward...Astrid had sworn she wouldn't let them take Alina and she realized she didn't want any other youth to be gone...Hiccup had been killed because of Spitelout, she couldn't let someone suffer again because of him. Some of the girls were standing brave, but others looked so frightened...Even if her sister wasn't choosen, any other girl would suffer. Anyway no girl had stepped up yet.

A terrible feeling invaded her: she knew what she had to do and she dreaded it. She was a shieldmaiden, she had sworn to protect her tribe. It would only give Spitelout a victory, in fact she was pretty sure he expected her to do that...But she didn't care, if it could save Alina, Ruff and the other girls it was worth the price. Taking a big breath, she stepped forward, astonishing everyone.

"Astrid?"

"I won't let you condemn another youth because of your stupidity," she said while looking at the chief. "I'll be able to handle Fury."

"He should be there soon," a woman from the council said, "Anyone else?"

Astrid looked back and saw that Ruff was about to step forward too, but Astrid shook her head. She whispered to Ruff: " _Only if I'm refused._ " Her friend bit her lips but listened to her.

Her head was raised proudly and defiantly, she wouldn't be intimidated, she would show to those stupid chiefs she wasn't some frightened little girl. Where was Fury by the way? Would he arrive on foot, or...Suddenly, she saw a blurry black form plunging from above to land right before her and she couldn't help but jump and gasp in surprise. Pretty much everyone around had similar reactions. She was quick to understand it was _him_ and his Night Fury. People whispered when they saw the masked chief. Of course, he wasn't alone, another rider was watching from above, along with a bunch of big dragons in armor.

It was the very first time she could see him closely. He was still wearing this stupid mask, but she had to admit that when he was mounted on his deadly dragon, with his leather armor, his weapons and yes, this very same mask which could be as ridicule as threatening, he was somehow intimidating. There was something animalistic in him, he wasn't broad, he was tall and lean, but somehow that gave him a reptilian appearance. That and the blackness of his outfit just made him look like the very monster he was riding on. He was another kind of threatening, one she wasn't used to.

"This is one girl who volunteered for our arrangement," Spitelout declared simply while pointing to her. "If she is not at your convenience, you can ask for another."

She straightened her stance, he was a little higher than her on this dragon, so she looked up and hoped that he couldn't see the wariness she was trying to hide. He turned to her; suddenly he gasped slightly, for a slight moment his eyes widened as if he was surprised and his body tensed. Why? What was wrong with him?

He had green eyes; it was all she could see behind his mask. Once the short surprise had passed, he looked at her intensely and she started to feel nervous, but she showed nothing, she just stood silently, refusing to speak to him. Finally, he turned to Spitelout, and nodded. Then he gestured to his dragon to fly away, and left as wordlessly as he came.

"Did he accept?" Asked someone.

"It seems so..."

"That savage could have spoke to us!"

Astrid could have replied that Fury wasn't the only savage, but no word would come out of her mouth right now. Although she had stepped up, it was only now that the entire reality of it imposed itself to her and she felt cold. Ruffnutt and Alina came at her side, as well as other girls who were worried for her. It was her, she was 'choosen'. She would leave everything behind and marry Fury...

 **Hope you liked it! Once again don't hesitate to review. I said to someone that there woud be Hiccup Pov in that chapter, but I realized later that it wasn't feasible. In the next one, I promise!**

 **Guest's answers:**

 **Guest 54: For a start don't think I'm answering because I feel offended by your comment or anything, you were polite, something I always appreciate. I'm taking liberties indeed, just like the movie and the serie, but sexual liberty existed in _some_ cultures even at such a times, they didn't all have the same morals about sexuality. Ways to avoid pregnancies existed, contraception isn't a recent concept at all. I recently discovered that the condom is actually something ancient, it just wasn't made of plastic. Also, a plant from North Africa was driven to extinction in Antiquity because it was really good to avoid unwanted pregnancy and it was demanded a lot by countries around. And that wasn't happening only for brothels, some people had sex before and/or outside marriage, and some cultures accepted that well. Now I'm giving it to you, boys had often more freedom than girls, but since the serie seems to put them on an equal foot, I'll do the same. In fact Viking culture _before_ christianism is not that well known, I did some researches about it and I must say it was quite frustrating. We know that divorce existed and wasn't a big deal, however. Keep in mind that this is still also Httyd universe, not an entirely accurate vision of Vikings. If you have an account, don't hesitate to log in before reviewing so I can answer you directly, I'm open to discussion :-) **

**Guest who said that Hiccup and Astrid don't deserve love if they sleep with someone without wanting to marry them and that they can't be a good ship: well, that's your opinion, I think in another and if you don't like, don't read. I thought of giving you a more developped answer, but honestly, I have wish to get into some pointless argument.**

 **Twilight Sparkle: It's okay, each one have their prefferences ^^ Thanks for your review!**


	4. Remaining Strong

**Chapter 4**

 **Remaining Strong**

 **Hi everybody ! I thank you for the reviews, and I'm really glad I could post this chapter ! I swore to myself I wouldn't as long as I didn't update Dragons' Prince.**

 **A Guest asked me whether or not Astrid would be in a relationship in that fic, no, they won't be. Previous relationships will be mentionned at most, but no more. Trust me, I really hate love triangle, so there is no risk with me.**

 **Also, as I saw one or two reviewers asking whether or not Astrid and Hiccup had meaningless sex, no it was sex with an official partner in a girlfriend/boyfriend relationship. You'll undertand more about it while reading the story.**

Away from the island of Berk, the ships belonging to the dragon riders were waiting for the return of their chief. Eret, the captain of the fleet, was looking at the sky, like each time. He hoped that Spitelout wouldn't try something against Hiccup and Heather. He was one of the few who knew Hiccup's real identity, he had known him and Heather when they were still fourteen years old, and even if he had accepted him as his _tann_ (a way to say 'chief' in his mother tongue), he had taken upon him to make Hiccup strong and protect him, and he had done the same with Heather. Even now that Hiccup was a man and a very good chief, he was still worried for him.

Plus this time, there was a problem: he received a Terrible Terror with a message from their friend Camicazi who had remained on Berk to watch over the tribe, nd Hiccup would definitely be needed. He felt reassured when he saw a black form coming back from the village, followed by a grey one. The two landed on the ship near him and Eret smiled as Hiccup took off his mask.

"So, how did it go?"

"Fine..."

"Hiccup, you can't do that!"

Eret frowned, wondering what they were talking about. Hiccup lowered his eyes, feeling uneasy. After he had been proposed to choose a girl in her tribe, Hiccup and Heather hadn't left the island but got outside of the village and discussed while waiting for the appointment. Heather was strongly opposed to this.

" _Tann_ , what's happening?" Asked Eret.

"Hiccup is gonna force a girl into marriage!"

"What?!"

"Heather!" Hiccup growled. "Come you two, let's talk inside my cabin."

They followed him inside and Hiccup explained the whole thing. To Heather's disappointment, Eret agreed with Hiccup.

"It won't be easy for the girl, but it's the best option for us all."

"Are you kidding?"

"I already told you, Heather, if we leave without a price, we'll appear weak."

"We stole everything from them, what were you expecting them to do?"

"We didn't steal everything from them, we left the treasure room intact! When I left it was still filled with riches, I had no idea Spitelout had been such a bad chief! He was a shitty uncle but I didn't think he was that terrible at ruling!"

Heather sighed, it was true indeed. Hiccup had decided to inflict a big defeat to his native tribe but left them a chance to get out of it. Since he was supposed to be a stranger chief, Fury had no way to know where the hidden treasure room was. Hiccup had decided to steal Berk's ressources while leaving them the gold so they could buy some of it back. It would have allowed the Hooligans to get back the vital ressources they needed, while still giving them consequences to deal with. Problem was, Berk was now poor and they could hardly give anything. They would really not be able to survive. Hiccup went on:

"We can't appear weak, we haven't beat all of our enemies yet! If other tribes decide to side up against us in addition to that, we'll be doomed. Viking traditions would have made us massacre them all, or conquer the island once and for all. I can do none, I just can't. Even with a price we might appear too merciful when other tribes will know almost no Hooligans died. We have to show our power, otherwise Spitelout will think I'm weak and..."

"So that's it, you have something to proove to your uncle."

"I got nothing to prove, I'm dead! We can't spare them for mercy's sake, otherwise they'll think they can attack us again with a better plan. I can't have a war with Berk, I have to end it now before things gets out of control. This defeat won't stay in their mind for so long. A marriage is the best excuse I got to spare them all."

He had indeed not shown anything to Spitelout or anyone of Berk, but when his uncle had been stupid enough to attack them, he had been almost desperate at first. Of course he had nothing to fear for Endris, they could defeat them easily. However, Spitelout had clearly challenged him by attacking without any other motive than glory. Vikings had some traditions that were almost laws, and one was very clear: a challenge by another tribe couldn't be ignored, otherwise the challenged chief would be seen as weak and others would take advantage of it. Hiccup's tribe was unlike the others, it didn't mean they could do everything as they wished. New enemies had appeared and made an alliance against Endris, and they weren't as easy to beat as the Berserkers or the Outcasts. If he had refused to fight Spitelout, other tribes would have seen it as a weakness, sided with those enemies, and this time...

"I wonder if it could be enough...Are you sure the girl is enough of a good match?" Asked Eret, interrupting his thoughts.

"Astrid had always been seen as one of the most promising girl of the island. It's still the case apparently, I got wind of her reputation."

"Yeah, I think I remember some trader telling me about a beautiful shieldmaiden who would contest her chief before everyone..." Eret murmured thoughtfully.

"Plus we took their dragons, and Berk will promise loyalty and peace to us."

"Indeed, it holds some credibility, it wouldn't be the first time that a tribe saved themselves by giving away a good match. Berk offering the perfect bride and all their dragons in exchange of the peace...If you clearly claim that you fell in love with that girl as soon as you saw her, it could definitely make a good story! Beauty and love saving an entire tribe..."

Eret let out an overexaggerated sigh. If it hadn't been such bad times, Hiccup could have laughed. His friend delighted himself in stories, but also liked to make fun of those.

Heather rolled her eyes, she knew that they were technically right. They couldn't leave Berk like that after everything that happened, Berk had to earn that peace, and offering one of the best match of the tribe to the chief was a good way for that. Yet she couldn't help but feel like Hiccup was doing something atrocious and it wasn't the boy she knew. She had told him back on Berk that he wouldn't make a happy marriage if it was an arranged one but he only replied that sometimes a chief's duty had to go before his own happiness.

"Hiccup, she'll hate you. And is this the Astrid who was your friend?" He nodded in reply. "Can't you spare her that? Do you really want to make her suffer?"

"You know it might be a good thing for her as well. I heard she was constantly taunting Spitelout and Snotlout, she might get problems, I'm surprised my uncle didn't try to kill her already. And if a girl on Berk deserves to know the truth about dragons, it's her."

"You pretend you're protecting her?"

"I'm just saying this could be an advantage for her too."

Heather sighed and Hiccup took her hand, in spite of her anger she didn't take it away.

"I know why you don't like this. It's not the same, it's not what those men did to you..."

This time Heather did take away her hand brutally, and simply mumbled:

"One advice: don't tell her you're doing that to protect her, she'll hate you even more."

He was about to tell her something when Eret interrupted him suddenly:

"Oh wait! I almost forgot...Camicazi has written to us."

Because she heard her friend's name, Heather stayed a little longer. Eret gave them the message from Camicazi and Hiccup was immediately alarmed. He started to give his friends instructions:

"Eret, you're in command of the fleet, lead back the boats to Endris while I'll fly there, I'll be faster. Heather, I know you hate all of this, but I want you to escort Astrid, watch that she doesn't need anything."

"I will," Heather sighed. "For her sake."

Hiccup ignored the jab, and went out to announce what would happen to the crew:

"Listen up everyone! Eret and Heather will be in charge, urgent matters are waiting for me on Endris, watch out for Spitelout. Also, a Hooligan will be on this ship, I want her to be treated like your future chiefess, because she will be!"

The crew was quite puzzled but none of them contested Hiccup who prepared himself to travel with Toothless and his little family. His best friend was already married somehow, they had found several Night Furies three years ago, among them a female had been interested by Toothless. Hiccup had named her Lady, because of her proud behaviour which reminded him of a high-born Lady. The two got some babies together, they had grown up and were half the size of their parents now. They weren't the only Night Furies on their island, but Hiccup hadn't brought them all.

He stroked the female's head as she was asking for some affection. Though Lady was gentle and loving toward humans she never accepted a rider and she would only fly at Toothless's side to escort him and Hiccup. She wasn't the only dragon to do that. She would sometimes come in the house like Toothless and sometimes she would rather stay in the barn; it was her personality and Hiccup never tried to change her. The cubs also loved Hiccup and they were still very playful. This had been their first battle and Hiccup was actually happy to get them away from here. In fact he was happy to leave Berk, this place was bringing too many memories.

He got some food and water and called for Toothless and Lady, the cubs following them naturally. He mounted Toothless and they flew away. On boats, it could take weeks to reach Endris, yet theirs wouldn't be so long, dragons would pull their boats to be faster and with a good wind ten days could be enough. On Toothless's back, it would take only a few days.

Hiccup tried to convince himself he was only leaving because of Camicazi's message, but he perfectly knew that while it was indeed urgent, he was relieved to have a good reason not to stay on the ships. Attacking Berk...Oh his father would have been so ashamed! Yet he had no choice, his only consolation was that Stoick was probably blaming Spitelout much more than him from where he was. He hated to see his village like this, even if some of those people had been rough on him, he wasn't blaming them completely, Spitelout had done everything to make them dislike him. He had got a glance and saw that Gobber, Fishlegs, the twins, Gothi and Bucket were still fine. And Astrid...The way she had looked at him...

He was also glad not to be with her on the boat, he needed some times to prepare himself for what would happen. She looked at him like one would look at their enemy, which was to expected of course but it was hurting a lot. At this moment he amost wished to be the bullied kid of Berk again just to have her sympathetic and helpful look. It was quite surprising to feel like this once more, he was persuaded he would never see her again, his feelings changed with time and he had a few girlfriends on his island. But a first love was something nostalgic, and for Hiccup the few things they shared had been very important in a hard time. Their first kiss...He was still sure she had given him that out of pity, but he loved that memory, it had been worth getting beaten...

"I don't even know what to do, bud. Should I show her my face?"

What would she say if he revealed her that it was him, Hiccup Haddock, who faked his death, ran away, then attacked Berk and took her away for marriage? She would be even angrier. And if she was too angry she could reveal his identity, find a way to communicate it to Berk and then...No, he knew he couldn't hide forever but he wasn't ready. More of all, revealing his identity would have consequences, for Endris as well as for himself. His enemies couldn't know who he is until he vanquished them. Then what? He couldn't be masked and hide his identity from her forever...

"I have to make her understand first, I'm not the only one concerned, Endris too...I won't show her my face immediately..."

He thought again of what Heather said. Was it true? Yes, he wished to protect her, that was true, yes he wanted to avoid a war and he truly thought this was one of the safest way. But...He thought of her again, Astrid was pretty when he left her, but now...Odin, he could have thought he had seen Freya herself, she was just gorgeous...Now he would marry her...Both Hiccup and Fury would be rejected by her anyway, so he could try being Fury for some times. He had to anyway, the security of his tribe depended on it.

 **O o O**

Once she had been chosen, Astrid had left for the woods, telling anyone who tried to follow her that she wanted to be alone. She had found a lonely spot where she could stay alone and she just sat down under a tree, fighting against the tears. She didn't want to cry, she didn't want to be weak, but...Odin, that was just horrible! Arranged and loveless marriages always disgusted her, and now she would be stuck in one! But it wasn't only that, she would be in the middle of a foreign tribe who would look at her as the present offered for peace...She would be chieffess...But what kind of chieffess? What had Fury planned for her?

The way he just looked at her and nodded before leaving...Anger rose in her, against that chief. Yes, she proposed herself, but did he have to look at her as if she was nothing but a merchandise? As if it was easy for her to go along for that, if he didn't even try to pay her some consideration, what would it be like?! Couldn't he speak to her? Did he thought she would be some nice doll to stay at his arm and put in his bed? Oh, he would be surprised!

She was nineteen and the question of marriage had been of course discussed. Astrid became a shieldmaiden to be able to escape marriage until she decided it was the right moment, so no one would pressure her. She wasn't against marriage, in fact she wished to have children and a happy love-life, but the thing was, she didn't want to marry just for the sake of it. There was a young man in the tribe, Varl, who proposed her several times, but he was a friend of Snotlout and very arrogant. According to a lot of people, she should have accepted, he was strong, handsome and hard-working. All this was true, but she didn't love him, in fact he annoyed her to no end. Spitelout had even proposed her father to engage her to Snotlout when she was fourteen, after Hiccup disappeared, but Astrid had yelled and warned her father that she would rather throw herself naked in the dragons' arena.

When she was fourteen, she had felt something for Hiccup, but he died. Then there had been a boy: Grun. He was the son of a merchant who lived for some times on Berk and she had been in love with him, so much she actually led him in a barn in the middle of the night. That's how she had been introduced to herbs which avoided unwanted pregnancy. They thought of marrying, yet his parents forced him into an arranged marriage to another family on a foreign island, and they were separated. She had a few Berkians boyfriends after, but not very serious relationships, at least not as serious as Grun. She had felt for them affection and some tenderness, but no more.

Astrid didn't _need_ a man to make her live, she could fight and provide for herself, but it didn't mean she had no wish to met her future husband. Plus, she wanted children, and sadly, children born out of marriage were often looked down. Efficient potions to avoid pregnancy existed, so giving a child out of marriage was rarely excused. Bearing a child to have him being looked as a bastard all his life was already cruel, but in addition to that she was the insurgent, the one who would always upset the chief and his son. If she had bastards, Spitelout and Snotlout would take advantage of that and make her kids miserable. Plus she had no wish to take care of children alone. No, she decided long that either she would find a respectable husband for a happy marriage, either she wouldn't have kids.

Once, she and Fishlegs joked about marrying if they couldn't find someone of their liking in the next few years. But then they spoke of it a little more seriously: it could be a solution, at least they could have legitimate children that way. Astrid wasn't in love with Fishlegs, but she liked him a lot, it was more than what some spouses shared, and honestly she couldn't picture any another man of the island as her husband. And it's not as if they couldn't break their marriage anyway. While some Viking tribes were a little more touchy about it, Berk allowed spouses to do that as soon as they asked for it. **(1)** She trusted Fishlegs, he would never let his children down, even if they decided to end their marriage, he was someone reliable.

Yet she wouldn't marry Fishlegs...She would marry someone who had the reputation to be Loki himself. What if it was actually true? What if he actually was Loki? She straightened herself, that was stupid, she wouldn't believe that...wouldn't she? But this wouldn't have been so terrible if it had been a more regular marriage, if most marriage could be easily broken, those made for important alliances were often (though not all the time) considered as special. Those could hardly be broken, or only under dire circumstances, or not at all. So not only she would be married to a stranger, but this marriages would be tricky to be broken.

Suddenly, she decided to go back to the village. They were probably all dicussing her fate and she wanted to know what was being said. She was told that the council was in the Great Hall, as well as other people. She kicked the door open, surprising everyone inside. Fishlegs and the twins were in there, they had tried to convince the Council to go back on their decision. Whatever Astrid had in mind, they would support her. The young woman advanced toward Spitelout.

"I know you're happy I'm chosen! You won for now, but your only victory will not last for long! You already led Berk to ruin, and I'm not your only enemy on this island, you just got people to hate you even more. Do you think they'll all forget how you threatened to sell their loved ones to that..."

"Astrid," Gobber said, "before you say anything else, listen."

Because it was Gobber, the young warrior stopped talking and listened. He showed her someone standing in a corner, someone she didn't notice: it was a young woman about her age with jet black hair, and she vaguely remembered that girl at Fury's side.

"This is Heather, she shall escort you during your tr avel."

"You mean keep me locked for her chief until I get sold?"

"I'm not one for selling women, if you really don't wish to be part of this, I won't be the one forcing you."

With a snort, Astrid turned away from her, she got the message perfectly: other people could force her to tag along. Her eyes went on Snotlout who didn't dare to look at her.

"You're happy of this too, aren't you? I wouldn't marry you, so you gave me away to that man, and who knows if he is even a man to begin with! But he surely more of a man than you'll ever be!"

"No, I'm not..."

"Yeah, sure! You always hated her because she didn't want you," yelled Ruffnutt who looked furious too.

"And because she defended Hiccup all the time!" Tuff added.

Though they were forgetting they occasionally tormented Hiccup as well at the beggining, Astrid felt thankful toward them for supporting her.

"That's true! You and your father have this little habit of making those who bothers you disappear! If you could drive your own cousin away to meet his own death, then how about selling the girl who won't take your shit?!" She yelled further.

"I never agreed to this!" Snotlout yelled.

"Astrid, if you go back on your engagement, I'll propose him another girl, someone who won't be selfish enough to refuse, and you'll have that on your conscience," Spitelout yelled, humiliated once more at the girl's behaviour. "But it's true I'm glad to see you finally leave.3

"Can't you do anything else but propose to sell girls around like sheep?" Tuff insolently asked.

"I never said I would go back on it," Astrid spat, "I volunteered and I'm a woman of my word. I know you would be low enough to sell as many girls as you could to stop this, but I'd rather sell myself than doom them, that's called self-sacrifice you piece of dog's vomit! But I'm doing that for my tribe, for the people of Stoick the Vast, for my family and our home, certainly not for the pathetic insufferable fool we have as a chief."

She approached Spitelout once more, he looked so exhausted that anyone else would have took pity on him, but not Astrid, seeing him weak made her only feel more like a predator looking at her prey.

"And honestly if getting sold away can spare me the sight of your ugly face and moronic ass on Stoick's throne, then it will have an advantage. Fury is maybe a monster, but at least monsters are poweful and feared, you're only a rat: a scorned thing. And your son is no better."

Spitelout was about to say something but Gobber came between them.

"Astrid, you're not obliged..."

"Yes I am, and you know it. When am I leaving?"

"...Tomorrow," he mumbled. "Maybe you should go to your mother and talk to her."

It was at this moment that Astrid noticed that her mom wasn't here. She had to go to them, she could have said much more things to Spitelout, but she would never feel like she had insulted him enough, so she could also stop right now and go to her family, or at least what remained of it. She turned round and left without a single words to the council or to Heather. Fishlegs and the twins followed her.

"You have only one word to say and we make you escape," Ruff said.

"Yeah, we sail away and we never see them again," Tuff proposed

"It's nice of you, but it wouldn't solve a single thing. The war would start again, and they would just sell another girl instead of me, maybe Alina."

"Then we're coming with you! Fishlegs already proposed himself for that, we can do it as well."

"Seriously?"

She turned agape toward Fishlegs who hadn't uttered a word since Astrid entered the Great Hall.

"Yeah, so you could have a friend."

"You don't have to."

"Don't worry, I can return when I want, I'll just be a companion for some times, to ease things up."

"We can come too, we can put a whole mess around!" Tuff boasted.

"Thank you, but I prefer you to stay here and keep an eye on my sister and my mother. And annoy Spitelout and Snotlout from time to time."

The twins both nodded and promised solemnly that they would do as such and Astrid hugged them, they weren't perfect but they were loyal friends. She also hugged Fishlegs, even though they wouldn't be leaving each other so soon. Once she reached her home, she heard furious yells. Inside, two men who came to tell her mother about what happened were trying not to get killed by Olga. Astrid stopped her mother and the guys escaped thanks to her. Alina was looking completely distraught.

"They can't do this to you, Astrid! They just can't!"

"Mom, please!"

"I won't loose you like your father! That man could be a monster, a rapist!"

Astrid calmed her mother down, assured her she would never let any man rape her, that she was willing to do this. Though she wasn't shouting anymore, Olga was still angry and mostly hurt.

"You were right, you know."

"What?"

"When you supported Stoick's son all the time. You were right, if he had stayed and took command, maybe he would have done better."

Astrid thought the same, she couldn't tell for sure what kind of chief Hiccup would have been, but the boy had much more sense at ten than Spitelout today. In normal times, she would have felt glad to hear her mother admit she had been wrong about Hiccup, but she wasn't in the mood to rejoice. Alina came toward her, tears in her eyes.

"I don't want you to leave."

"I know sweetie..."

While hugging her, she prayed the gods to watch over her along with the twins. They weren't the best guardians but it was the best she could offer to her sister. She spent most of the night talking to them, and even when she felt tired se was unable to sleep.

 **Okay, before anyone says that Astrid is judging Hiccup too quickly, remember that she is not in an easy situation, and it would be normal for someone to expect the worse.**

 **1: Pretty surprising, but I didn't invent that one, divorce was indeed allowed among Vikings. Now it would change depending the tribes/countries and the centuries, but in some cases reasons such as a overbearing jealousy, or sadness in marriage could be valid for divorce.**

 **Don't hesitate to review! Next update will be Little Hiccup.**


	5. Leaving Berk

**Chapter 5**

 **Hi everybody! Thanks to everyone who wrote a review, I'm sorry for the wait, but I had a busy schedule lately.**

 **Just one note I forgot in the last chapter, yes, Lady she is the OC I created in Rider and the Beast. I really like that one and I wanted to have her again**.

 **Enjoy!**

When morning came, Fishlegs and Heather presented themselves at the Hofferson house. While Fishlegs was greeted warmly, the dark-haired girl had to justify her presence.

"I'm here to make sure you're prepared to leave," the girl explained.

"I've packed already, I'll only check one last time to be sur I forgot nothing," Astrid replied dryly before turning to Fishlegs: "Do you mind helping me?"

"Never, except when you want to do some suicidal moves against Monstrous Nightmare."

Though usually she would have shook her head at the boy's shaky humor, here she granted him a little chuckle. Heather waited under the hateful stares of Olga and Alina, answering curtly whenever they would tell her something. Astrid had to admit that girl had countenance, not many people could handle her angry mother without being at least shaken, but Heather seemed to remain unfazed. Astrid took her time, Fishlegs assured her he had packed yesterday so he was ready to go.

"The ships are waiting for us but we have time."

"Fury will be there?"

"No, as I told you he left already, he didn't explain why."

"At least I won't see him."

The twins came at her door and they accompagned Astrid to the docks as long as her family and Heather. They also threw death glares at the girl, but she remained unfazed, and for a moment, Astrid couldn't help but be reminded of Hiccup...No, she shouldn't associate her friend's memory to those...Those savages! Everyone in Berk came to see her departure, and while they probably meant well she felt even more like a precious merchandise sold away. They were calling her a hero, wishing her good luck, saying they would pray for her and write songs about her. She couldn't care less. Astrid knew they were relieved to see her leave instead of their daughters.

She saw Varl, looking at her like a kicked puppy, but she didn't really care. Ignoring Spitelout and Snotlout completely, she only said goodbye to her loved ones. Her mother, her sister and her friends hugged her all. She said goodbye to Gothi, the shaman squeezed her hand tightly. Gobber also gave her a hug and offered a small and sharp pocket knife.

"Very useful if you get disarmed, remember it."

"Thank you...Please, can you two keep an eye on my sister? I asked the twins already, but they won't be enough."

"We will, I promise you."

Gothi nodded, and Astrid felt a little better. Gobber didn't dare to say it, but after what happened to Hiccup, he wasn't sure he could really help anyone. He would have been more virulent toward Spitelout if he hadn't blamed himself so much as well. Yet he had to do this, he had to held his promise to Astrid. It wouldn't redeem him for loosing Hiccup, it wouldn't redeem him for letting Astrid get married to Fury, but at least he would help a child.

She thanked them both and breathed in deeply. What would await her on those ships? She saw the dragons which Berk used to keep prisoners on one boat. She was somehow exactly like tem, except that they were probably happier than her. Stupid beasts! She wanted to give Berk one last glance, but she couldn't muster it, otherwise she would break, and she couldn't do that now. Her legs were trembling, but she got on the ship nonetheless, supported by Fishlegs's presence right behind her.

"Dragons...There are dragons everywhere..."

Indeed, now that she paid more attention to the dragons around, she saw there were many on the boats or flying around. Fishlegs would have left immediately if it wasn't for his friend. Astrid was looking at the beasts with a mix of awe and horror. She had seen many dragons before, but here she couldn't fight those, she was somehow their prisoner as well...She heard Alina yelling goodbye to her, and she wanted to turn round and look at her, but she just couldn't, seeing her face one last time...

'You protected her, it's all that matters,' she thought, 'she'll stay with mom and your friends promised to keep an eye on her.'

In spite of all that, Astrid was still worried. She felt the ship moving, she saw dragons pulling the boats and their strenght combined to the men rowing made the boat move at a speed she wasn't used to. She turned to look at Fishlegs who was watching their island. She bit her lip and eventually yielded to her urges. She turned round and looked at her home...Her mom and her sister were looking at the boats on the harbour. As the boats were taking distance, the island grew smaller and Astrid felt her heart tighten. She was really leaving it this time, it wasn't just a trip for a quest or an expedition...

Her eyes started to wetten, but she decided not to show her tears to those people. She locked herself in her cabin with Fishlegs as soon as Heather showed her where it was. The boy did his best to speak, he wasn't in the mood, but he wanted to cheer her up.

"They gave you a nice cabin, with a real bed..."

"Great."

"Do you prefer to be alone?"

"No, you can stay, except if you want to leave. I know you're used to my bad moods, but still."

"It's okay...I'm sure the twins are already preparing something terrible against Spitelout already."

She nodded and smirked at this. She would have liked to see that.

"It's not really good for our projects," she murmured, thinking of the idea they had to marry.

"No indeed...I don't know how long we would have lasted, I don't know if really believed in it."

"I don't know, but I would have preffered you over Fury for sure."

"Maybe it won't be that bad with him...And you're Astrid, you'll make him respect you."

Maybe, but when a spouse had to make the other respect them, there were no real chances to have a happy love-life. The two continued to talk until they heard someone tap at the door. Astrid opened to see Heather standing there.

"Fishlegs, you're called by the captain, he'll show you where you'll sleep."

"Sure..."

He left Astrid quite reluctantly, and she was expecting Heather to leave as well but the young woman remained where she was.

"I would like us to speak."

Astrid rolled her eyes, she probably wanted to tell her she had to be nice and good toward their chief if she didn't want to go through consequences and other shit like that. Well, if she had to deal with that kind of shit, she would do it right now and get over with it. Letting Heather take a sit on the bed, she sat at her side, keeping some distance to show she wasn't her friend, but not too much otherwise she would have looked scared.

"What is it you want to tell me?"

"Actually, I just thought you might have questions. I don't think I'll have all the answers you want but I can try."

Astrid raised her eyebrow quizically, she wasn't expecting this. It was true she had many questions, she didn't know where to begin with. She shrugged.

"Let's start with a simple one: How is your chief?"

"You mean his face or his personality?"

"...Both."

"I'm forbidden to tell anyone about his face, if he wants to unmask himself before you, he will. As for his personality, you have nothing to fear. You won't want to believe me right now, but he is someone good."

"Yeah, really! I don't feel much of his goodness."

"I know you're not thinking much good of him right now. But he managed to end this war without victims, or at least a very few of them. Your chief..."

"If you want to tell me Spitelout is a pathetic excuse of a chief and that this war was laughable, we're at least agreeing on something."

Heather realized this wans't really good of her to remind her that her tribe was at fault, she didn't need to hear that. It was delicate balance, she wanted to defend Hiccup, but on the other hand, hearing people say that Fury was a great guy would just make Astrid feel even more misunderstood and angry.

"Yeah, I figured out you weren't very fond of him...What's this story with Stoick and his son?"

Astrid sighed and told her pretty much the whole story. Heather listened silently, of course she knew the story, better than Astrid actually, but she had to act as if she never really heard of Hiccup Haddock before, so her future chieffess wouldn't get any suspicions. She felt sad for the girl, Hiccup told her he and Astrid were friends but he didn't believe his loss had affected her or Fishlegs that much. She didn't know for Fishlegs, but obviously Astrid had been wounded, more than Hiccup thought. It made her feel respect for that girl: she had kept loyalty for the true heir, without letting a cruel and calculating man fool or corrupt her.

"And he never came back?"

"No. We discovered some blood on pieces of clothes, dragons' scales...We're pretty sure he died."

"And you still continue to defend him?"

A wave of sadness washed through her, Astrid was staring at the door, not really looking at it, she was just lost in her memories.

"I'll never forgive Spitelout and Snotlout. Since then I always put them down at each occasion I got, Spitelout mostly. His son at least stopped to boast around, so I ignored him often. Everyone called me the insurgent, and I still am I guess."

"You do that because you had a thing for him?"

Astrid felt annoyed, Heather wasn't the only one who asked her that, a lot of people in the tribe suspected her feelings. Yet her little crush on Hiccup wasn't her main reason to act as such. Why couldn't people believe that friendship and injustice could be a motive?

"No. I mean, I had a thing for him but it wasn't much, just a small teenage flirt. But he was my friend for a long time, I am sure he could have been a really good chief if he had got the time or the right guidance. And what Spitelout did was low anyway. Even if Hiccup hadn't been a friend, I would have despised his uncle for what he did."

"I understand."

Astrid rolled her eyes. No she couldn't understand, she hadn't been there! The voice of reason was telling her that maybe that girl went through something like that too, but she wasn't in the mood to listen to the voice of reason. She turned to the girl:

"And how did you find yourself in that tribe? Did you think one day: 'oh I want to ride fire-spitting monsters from now'?" She asked in a voice laced with venom.

"...Honestly, I'd rather tell you my story once you'll be less angry. I don't really like to talk about it and it's not something I tell to anyone."

A silence passed, and Astrid rolled her eyes again: it wasn't her fault if that girl had chosen one of the weirdest, most nonsensical and despicable way of life!

"I'm the one supposed to ask questions, you didn't really answer me: how is your chief?"

"Well, he is very good with dragons and he is a very nice person. He can be very sarcastic, and he doesn't stop himself from saying whatever he wants, that's maybe why people fear his words more than his sword. It's not that he can't fight, but he knows how to tell you the thing that will truly hurt you if you really makes him furious. And he is too serious at times."

"Good, I know what kind of chief I can expect, that's great! But what kind of husband will he be?"

"That I can't tell, he was never married before. We had a short affair at a time, but that's all, we're only friends now. I think he can be a good husband, he wouldn't disrespect you."

"How lucky I am..."

Heather bit her lips, it would really be difficult. She remembered how Astrid yelled at her chief after she had been promised to Fury; usually she would have put anyone talking like this about her chief in their right place, but she couldn't blame Astrid. She had just lost everything and she was being sold. Like a slave...

"I understand that you're angry, I would be also. You have to pay because of a chief you despise, and you have to go through an arranged marriage. But believe me, there are worse fates."

"Knowing that other people got worse doesn't comfort me...I would like to be alone."

"If you need anything, tell me."

Heather stood up, actually relieved that Astrid didn't want to talk anymore. The dark-haired girl passed before the sailors and left to her own space, as the second in command on this ship, she had her own cabin even if it was smaller than Eret's one. That conversation with Astrid made unwanted memories resurface again, she suddenly felt the need to go out again. After all these years she just couldn't let go of it all...At the same time Astrid was fighting against the tears, some managed to fall, but through her gritted teeth she swore it would be the last time, she wouldn't let those people see her tears, she swore it.

 **O o O**

Fishlegs had been shown the place where he would sleep, he would be among sailors, and it didn't bother him at all. One thing which bothered him however were the dragons on the boats and flying in the sky. Yes he knew they were tamed, they belonged to the people here, but they were dragons! He was standing near the mast, ready to take cover while he was watching two big Monstruous Nightmares fighting. It was scary but also fascinating. It was difficult to observe those animals in the wild, he would only see them in cages. Now those dragons weren't wild but they were obviously independent. It was an impressive sight...

"Are you gonna gape at them all day?"

Fishlegs jumped in surprise and saw a tall and big man with tattos on his chin looking at him with a slight smile.

"Hum, sorry."

"Don't be. I guess you're not used to that."

"No...One of them is yours?"

"The one over here, his name is skullcrusher."

Fishlegs couldn't help but gape again, this dragon was just impressive! He had never seen any like this one!

"What's your name?," Asked the man.

"Hum, Fishlegs."

"I'm Eret, son of Eret, captain of the fleet. You're here as a guest, aren't you?"

"Well, yes."

"Good, but even guests has to participate to the work, only our future chieffess can skip that."

Fishlegs blushed slightly, he had indeed forgot that. Vikings would rarely take passengers who wouldn't work, except if they were too young, too old, or wounded, or if they had a particular status like Astrid. He soon took place among the others, and started to work along with them. The next day, he visited Astrid once more to know how she was doing. She had hardly left her cabin. He found her in a strange, confused and thoughtful state that morning. She assured him she was fine, but he believed none of it.

"You should go outside. I know the dragons are scary..."

"I'm not scared, Fishlegs! I don't want to get to know them, that's all."

"You'll have to...It's better for them ot know you."

She rolled her eyes, a part of her thought it made sense but she still couldn't muster it, plus she felt quite upset that morning. She wouldn't have told it to Fishlegs, but she had a dream...And it took all her willpower not to blush because of it. In her dream, she was in bed, and Fury was with her, with his mask still on. They were getting rid of their clothes, she remembered that Fury ripped hers at a point. Then she threw the mask away. She couldn't see his face however, it was blurry, but it wouldn't matter...Oh she had just blushed after waking up. She wasn't prudish, she had done dirty stuff with Grun and with her other boyfriends in the past, and she already had wet dreams. But it was the first time that she was having such dreams about someone she loathed.

She decided to push away those thoughts and looked at her stuff. She had her axe, it would be nice to train, but it she couldn't do it here. Fishlegs was right, she couldn't stay here all the time, and now that she thought about it, staying inside like this would probably make her look like a scared little thing. She put on her vest, took her axe with her and went out to find Fishlegs.

Meanwhile, her friend was helping with the mainsail when Eret went to him.

"Is Fury's fiancee still in her cabin?"

"Astrid? Yes, she is."

"I'll have to talk to her, at least to present my respects."

Fishlegs wasn't really sure about this, he didn't really like the man's tone while saying those words, he seemed a little too gallant. Would he try to take advantage of Astrid? Oh sure, he would get a violent response, yet he wouldn't want his friend to be subjected to such a treatment. He was about say something when he heard someone laugh. He saw Heather coming toward them.

"Eret, you sound creepy when you try to be solemn!"

"Oh come on! You overexaggerate it!"

"I swear it! Anyway, I guess she still wants to be left alone for now."

"Alright, alright."

With that, he left them, returning to his work. Heather smiled at Fishlegs, and for the first time he was fully aware that she was pretty.

"You were worried because of Eret, weren't you?"

"I don't know him or anyone here," he simply answered.

"Dont worry, he has a fiancee and he is way too loyal to our chief to do that."

Fishlegs was a little reassured, yet he was still worried. He would have to know that man a little more, and by himself. Heather went at his side.

"It's really noble of you to come with her."

"I owe her that, she saved me more than once during quests."

"She is not in danger you know. I'm aware there a lot of horrid things told about our tribe, but a lot are invented. And we had no wish to attack your tribe but..."

"Astrid and I are perfectly aware that Spitelout is the one to blame," Fishlegs interrupted abruptly. "But it's still infuriating that she is the one who has to pay for it! That dumbass already took a friend..."

He stopped himself right there. He wasn't aware, but Astrid just arrived behind them, and heard what they said.

"You're talking about Stoick's son? She told me about him, he was your friend too," Heather stated.

"Yeah, he was."

"It's always hard to loose someone like this."

"Sounds like you know what you're talking about," he murmured.

"I do. It's hard to speak about it, but I do."

Fishlegs wondered what happened to the girl. They heard footsteps behind them and saw Astrid advancing to their side.

"I thought you didn't want to go out," he said with a happy smile

"Changed my mind."

She wouldn't have say it, but she was now feeling a little bad toward Heather. She had been harsh to her while the girl had tried to be friendly, and she had assumed that she had no idea of what she felt like, but it seemed that she was wrong. That girl was still an Endrisian though, and still one of the people who escorted her to be taken away. However, Astrid had learnt something during her different quests: allies could come from very unexpected places. She could still try to know her a little more, she and Fishlegs needed an ally, she needed someone to answer her questions and she indeed had to know the people she would live with.

"There is something I didn't ask you, but I just thought about it," Astrid declared.

"What?"

"There was almost no victims during the battle. Yet your tribe had already slaughtered enemies, like the Outcasts. So, why did you spare us like that?"

Heather felt her gut tighten, Fishlegs looked intrigued as well. She would have to be careful around Astrid if she asked questions like that.

"Our chief doesn't like useless massacres, and he always admired your island. The thing with the Outcast was different, we had bad blood with them."

"So did we, they killed Stoick," Fishlegs explained.

' _Yeah, exactly the reason why we killed them,'_ Heather thought.

"What was your bad blood with them?"

Heather didn't answer that, and Astrid understood this was another thing she couldn't talk about.

"There were many reasons to hate Alvin, I guess," Fishlegs murmured. "I heard that children plays with dragons in your tribe."

"Hum, yeah, indeed," Heather answered though she was surprised at the change of subject.

"Aren't you afraid for them?"

"No. I know it seems incredible to you, but in the end, dragons are just animals, they can be nice too. You're probably not really believing it, but you'll see on the island."

They continued to talk like that, the two asking a lot of questions, and Heather asked some herself when Fishlegs's eagerness to know more would leave her some space to do so.

 **O o O**

The days went by, and in spite of her still vivid anger, Astrid was starting to really like Heather, she learned soon that the girl had been opposed to the marriage and she felt grateful for that. She was starting to like Eret as well. The captain had presented his respects, and though he had been a little clumsy while trying to be formal, he had been a gentleman. The rest of the crew and warriors however wouldn't talk much to her, though they wouldn't disrespect her, she could feel they were distant to her while they were less cold with Fishlegs. She guessed they probably didn't like having to treat a complete stranger from a defeated tribe as someone important. She would have to earn their full respect. One afternoon, she and Fishlegs were on the deck, talking with Eret:

"I heard that you and Heather were the first ones to join Fury," Fishlegs said.

"Heather is the very first one, I came after."

"Where do you come from actually?" Asked Astrid. "You were taken as a slave too?"

"No, but I almost did. I come from a family of dragon trappers..."

"Seriously?!"

"Yeah, I know it's pretty ironic."

"How did you ended in a tribe of dragon riders?" Asked Fishlegs.

"Well, I almost lost my honor and my freedom to become the lowest kind of slave, when Fury arrived. He was just a kid back then, but he already had the Night Fury. He saved me, and I immediately swore to him and made him my Tann."

"Tann?"

"In my mother tongue, it means 'Chief', but one you choose yourself, not the one you had when you were born. You have to obey your chief, but you're linked to your Tann with a stronger bond."

Astrid was about to ask what happened to Eret when a call caught their attention:

"Endris! We're approaching the island!"

Both Hooligans felt their guts tighten, and Astrid even felt a wave of nausea. They indeed saw the shape of a big island in the distance. As they approached, they saw dragons flying around, without attacking. The village they saw from afar was way bigger than Berk's, it could be called a city actually. A tribe didn't need to have a big home or a big village to be respected or powerful, Berk was the proof of it. Yet, it was still impressive to see that.

"Welcome to your new home," Eret murmured.

 **Now, I know that most readers are probably waiting for Astrid and Hiccup to meet, that will happen in the next chapter. Don't hesitate to review !**


	6. A New Home

**Chapter 6**

 **A New Home**

 **Hi! I'm sorry for the time it took to update, but don't worry, I certainly didn't forget this story, I'm still working on it a lot. Thanks for the review, it's always nice to read those and know what you think, I tried to improve my proof-reading, tell me if you spot mistakes, I'm always glad to know.**

When the boats arrived, people gathered, though the majority of them had Viking-style clothes, Astrid could see there were also very foreign kind of attires. Yet this didn't hold her attention for long. The dragons around did. They weren't wearing armors this time, but they were roaming freely around and the sight of dragons roaming freely among humans struck her once again. She looked at Fishlegs and could see it was the case for him too.

"They are all here to take a glance at you," Eret told her. "The news spread that our chief would be soon married."

"Oh..."

She didn't know what to say, but she didn't like that at all. She had enjoyed attention when she had been able to defeat dragons in the training area of Berk, but here it was different. It felt like they came watching some prize won by their chief, and she didn't like it one bit. Though she was supposed to be the future chieffess, she felt humiliated and undermined. The prize given to avoid a massacre...She then remembered Hiccup, the way he would stand each time he was humiliated in front of the tribe. He would use either silence or snarky and sarcastic remarks with a stern countenance. She took a deep breath yet and followed Eret and Heather on the docks. A blond young woman came to greet them, she smiled at Eret and Heather while people around were silently watching.

"I'm happy to see you," Heather told her with a genuine smile.

"You took long! It seemed like forever," the woman said.

"Oh, please, wasn't an entire town good enough to distract you, Camicazi?" Eret replied merrily.

"I always miss my friends, and I was wondering about what you would bring. I received your letter, Heather."

She then looked at Astrid and with an insolent, skeptical look, she said as if she was examining a second-hand tool:

"So it's her?"

"I'm impressed you managed to understand that by yourself," Astrid replied immediately.

"Not difficult, I just had to pick the one so afraid they stick to their escort so closely."

"Yeah, I'm walking beside them, big deal indeed. I wasn't aware that showing bravery meant carefully walking at a certain distance from people."

"Cami, don't start that," Heather said with a tight and angered voice before Camicazi could answer. "Where is Fury?"

Her sudden tone seemed to surprise Camicazi and she spoke without venom anymore.

"He still has to take care of some things. You have to take his fiancée to his house. And I have to take the dragons to the arena."

"I will. Now if you'll excuse us."

Astrid was of course hating this girl already, and she didn't notice that Heather's cold demeanor truly startled Camicazi. They crossed the harbor and though she was boiling in rage inside, she made the effort to stand stern and unfazed. Odin, how did Hiccup managed to do that all those times with Spitelout?! She took comfort by the fact Fishlegs was still at her side. She could hear people whisper and she tried not to listen. Once they were away from the crowd, Heather who seemed quite upset as well just said:

"Don't pay attention to what she said, Camicazi isn't mean but she often tend to...test people."

"Oh if she wants to test me, she'll have to be well prepared," Astrid said with a trembling voice.

"Was she in love with Fury?" Asked Fishlegs.

"No, they are friends and nothing else. Camicazi is a Bog-Burglar, they tend to be tough."

Astrid knew of the Bog-Bourglar, a tribe led by women only, and who tended to scorn men. She had always admired them, she even met some and got along with them pretty well. Yet right now this admiration was forgotten. She had seen her tribe being put down by another army, she had been sold by a chief she loathed to this very tribe who defeated them, taken away from everything in order to marry a man she hardly knew. She didn't need some arrogant troll to taunt her!

She saw a small group of little girls waking near them, looking at her agape. Two of them were holding Terrible terrors in their arms. This soothed her a little: those kids probably didn't know the implication of what was happening, they were just looking at the chief's bride. Had she felt less down, she would have probably seen the admiration in their eyes. The chief had announced he would marry, revealed the name of his future wife, and a lot had been told about Astrid Hofferson. Her reputation had definitely conquered most of children, though the adults still had doubts because of her insolence against the chief of Berk. Plus, a good warrior didn't necessarily mean a good chief or chieffess.

Heather quickly told them about the city while they were walking, they passed before some taverns, the main market place and the Great Hall. She also showed them the closest training ground. They soon saw burned buildings; an entire street had been ravaged and Heather explained it:

"There was an attack some days ago."

"Your dragons got angry?"

"Our dragons helped us against it. It was something else, but I can't tell you the details, we just have…Some enemies."

No other words were said about it. The city was still a wonder to see, Astrid and Fishlegs had visited other tribes and had seen things different from Berk, but this island was a kind they never saw before. It was a mix of several cultures, some buildings were made in a way that was foreign to them, some people wore clothes and had their hair braid in ways they never saw. There were also infrastructures that were indeed made for dragons, most of them had saddles, some were adorned with body paint, and they were just around, minding their own business. In spite of his fear, Fishlegs forgot for a moment all their misery, this was just so fascinating! Astrid was pretty entranced too. She had always been adventurous and loved exploring and discovering new things. She would be served! It hit her once more: she would be the chieffess of this island...

They passed before a building from which a sweet smell was escaping, both Fishlegs and Astrid smelt it, and Heather smiled while explaining:

"This is where we treat honey and make hydromel as well."

"Honey? You produce honey on this island?!"

"Yes, that's what allowed us to make quite a bit of gold."

Due to the cold climate, bees and honey weren't easy to find in the archipelago, therefore hydromel wasn't easy to produce and it was a precious drink.

"People generally focus on the dragons, but some of our clients also call Endris the 'honey island'. I must say it's quite poetic. Here we are."

They reached the chief's house, it was quite big and it looked like a traditional Viking home. Heather smiled and opened the door, then Astrid immediately noticed something unusual: the doors. Vikings rooms were generally built around one room, with sometimes a second floor, and private space would be made through panels. Here however, there were doors to make different rooms, so though the outside looked like a Viking house, the inside wasn't entirely traditional. Heather explained some things about the house:

"This wasn't always his house only. We used to share it when we got on this island, we couldn't be called a tribe back then. One of us was coming from a land afar and he explained us how they built their house. We thought it was better for intimacy. However, it's mostly furnished like a Viking House."

"It's pretty fascinating," Fishlegs said while starting to open the doors to look at the other rooms.

"Hum, yes...Other homes are built like that, no need to inspect that one," Heather said with a smile.

The boy blushed and Astrid smiled for the first time since she got here. She looked around and had to admit that indeed those modifications could be a good thing. Heather showed her to her room, and Astrid had to admit it was nice to have her own closed space especially in such circumstances. She had a table with a mirror of polished copper and a big bowl of water, a bed, two chests for her stuff, and candles and torches. There was no decoration, but Heather explained that they preferred to let her decide what she would put in her room.

"Wow, that's wonderful of him to allow me that!"

Heather lowered her eyes and Astrid felt a bit guilty: it was useless to unleash her tongue on her, she wasn't responsible.

"Well, I still have work to do and I have to show you where you'll live, Fishlegs."

"O...Okay. But maybe I could stay with Astrid?"

"It's alright Fishlegs, I will have to unpack anyway. I'll be fine."

They agreed to meet tomorrow morning in the training grounds Heather showed them. Heather and Fishlegs eventually left the house and Astrid felt scared suddenly, scared to be alone in here, with a man extremely strange who she didn't know at all. Soon enough, she straightened herself: Vikings weren't supposed to know fear, she wouldn't humiliate herself by acting like a fragile little thing!

She started to unpack and looked at the stuff here more closely. The bed grabbed her attention, it was quite special, instead of the bare wooden structure, there was a soft mattress on it and she had to admit it was comfortable. The other furniture were plainly adorned, but still finely made. She eventually exited her room and looked around. The first room with the fireplace was the biggest, there was a bathroom with a wooden tub, something Astrid never had, she would either bath in the river or in the public bath of Berk. Upstairs, there was another empty bedroom, a room she couldn't open because it was locked, and a kitchen.

She remained in the living room a little, she saw maps, books, drawings of dragons, other animals and of strange designs for devices she had never seen once in her life. The fire was already burning, she decided to warm her hands, when she heard footsteps outside. She went back into her room immediately, not closing the door totally but pushing it enough to see what was happening. She saw her supposedly husband-to-be entering the room followed by his monstrous lizard and she tensed. The dragon didn't have any armor this time, however his rider still had his mask on. Astrid suddenly noticed something she missed the first time: Fury had a metal leg. His left foot was totally absent, and replaced by a strange metal device. How was it she never noticed that? Maybe she was just too focused on the mask, the dragon, or even the flaming sword to look at his legs.

He was petting his dragon, and she wondered what she should do. She repeated herself she was a warrior, not a scared little thing, she wasn't going to hide like that, wasn't she?! On the other hand, she didn't know what she should expect from that guy and from that dragon. She saw him put a big piece of meat on the fire, and she realized she was hungry. Taking a deep breath, she entered the room and both masked man and dragon turned toward her. None of them seemed surprised by her presence, the man bowed his head slightly, and gestured the table to her.

"Good evening...I...I apologize for not being there when you arrived. Please, sit."

He spoke in a gentle and even hesitant way, yet she didn't sit, she didn't want to appear obedient, if he was expecting some submissive little wife, he would have a big surprise!

"I'd rather stand, I'm not one to sit around idly while a dragon or a madman is near."

"You have nothing to fear of Toothless…And I like to think I'm not a madman."

She raised her eyebrows: Toothless? That was probably the last name she would have chosen for a dragon. It seemed he was saying the truth: the dragon was watching her but without making any move toward her. She looked at the man (even though she was still not entirely sure he was a man) and decided that she really didn't like his mask. It was creepy and it made her feel uncomfortable.

"Not even taking off your mask? Shame, I was _so impatient_ to finally know something of my husband-to-be," she said with venom in her voice.

"I'm afraid I can't give you that," he declared on a soft tone. "Not for now at least."

"You should rather say: 'I'm afraid to give you that", it would be more honest, wouldn't it?"

He lowered his eyes and she knew she was right. Was he _that_ horrific? Hiccup would have smiled if the circumstance weren't so dire, Astrid always had always been quick at repartee and he had appreciated that when they were young. She rolled his eyes and went on:

"Now that you're here and finally speaking to me, there is something I want to know: what do you expect from me, exactly?"

This question froze him a little, he wasn't sure what she meant. Still, he took a deep breath and simply stated:

"You know it already: I want you to be my wife."

He could have said that he wanted to preserve peace, but that would have been cruel, it would have lowered her to a simple tool.

"What kind of wife?"

"I beg your pardon?"

"Are you just expecting me to be something you'll drag around as a pretty trophy and put in your bed at night?"

She could see he was frowning, simply by the way his eyes narrowed under his mask. Hiccup was expecting her to be angry yet it didn't mean it wasn't hurting him. He had to choose his words carefully.

"Of course not. I'm expecting you to be my chieffess ruling along with me, and...Well, my wife. You'll live here with me, but you'll have your own room as long as we aren't married."

"I must admit I wasn't expecting that from a man who take a spouse in such a way."

"I never forced you, you did volunteer…"

"You didn't force me! One of us would have been taken whether she wanted or not anyway! I have a younger sister and I couldn't take the risk to see her leave! You knew we were all compelled to meet you, that I was compelled! Had I been truly free, you would have tried to convince me, you would have spoken to me! Instead you simply took a stare at me before leaving like I was nothing but a mere merchandise and came to term with the chief, once again, without addressing a single word to me!"

He was rigid, cursing himself mentally, why did he try to justify himself by telling her she volunteered? Of course she didn't do it because wanted it, she had done that to protect the other girls. Astrid still felt angry, but at least it felt good to say out loud the things she had in mind since this whole mess began. She had thought about it over and over on the boat. She heard a growl and jumped in surprise as she saw the dragon barring its teeth at her. His master stepped between the two.

"Toothless! Stop."

The dragon laid on the ground, on a spot which was obviously his. The man turned to her and looked at right into the eyes again.

"I didn't mean to hurt you in any way. I don't consider you as a thing to put in my bed…But an agreement had to be done, marriage was the last solution before raiding Berk and conquering everyone."

"Are you trying to act as if you forced yourself? _You_ were free to do as you wished. And if you really didn't mean to hurt me, acting civil when we met would have been a good start!"

He knew she was right. He had been perfectly aware that no girl would go to Fury on their own wish, that only the will to spare the others would make one step up. As a warrior, Astrid had been imposed to choose between protecting herself and protecting the others...He didn't know what to say, just to break the tension a little, he walked away from her, and went to the fire to check on the meat roasting here. It just infuriated Astrid, how dared he to ignore her like that? She went to him again and grabbed his shoulder, stopping him in the process of what he was doing. She looked at this mask again and wished to pull it away from his face and plunge his head in the fire. It dawned on her then.

"You know, it's funny, you say you want more than just a bed warmer, but not only you didn't show me your face yet, I also don't even know your true name!"

"I won't take off my mask."

"I'm supposed to live with you without ever seeing your face or know your name? Take it off now!"

He straightened his stance and she could see some nervousness as well as anger in his eyes.

"I'm not taking it off before I decide it, and don't even try to take it by force."

"I refuse to live with someone who won't even show me his face!"

"Too bad," he said in a determined tone.

She didn't need a mirror to know she was pale from rage. Who the hell did he think he was?! She was about to yell even more when she heard a growl from the dragon again. She remembered that sadly, she couldn't fight, not so much because of that blasted monster, but because any harm caused on that chief could mean war. But she didn't have to be submissive. She stormed away toward her room, she really had enough of that bullshit, of that idiotic chief and his stupid monster of his…

Astrid was stopped before she could reach the door by two hands gently grasping her shoulders from behind. She tensed and growled:

"You have three seconds to let me go."

"Wait…"

"Go away!"

She got free, urned around to hit him but he seized her wrist with surprising swiftness and her next move was stopped when she heard:

"Please, Astrid..."

She suddenly stopped, because that voice rang suddenly a bell: Hiccup had the same kind of voice. Could it be?! No...The Hiccup she knew was dead, and she knew that man's story, it was different. Plus, her childhood friend would never have done such a thing as force a woman into marriage, especially her! No, Hiccup just had a nasally voice too, that was all. Yet it didn't stop her from feeling strange to hear this man speak with a way which sounded like her friend's one.

Once again, she wished Hiccup was here, with his everlasting pride, his way to stand against humiliation with nothing to fight back but this sass and hardened stare…He would have given to that Fury a good piece of his mind. Astrid pushed him away from her.

"I'm..."

"It's funny, your voice sounds like my friend's one," she said while interrupting him. "But it's the only thing you two have in common, he was nothing like you."

"What's his name?"

"His name was Hiccup, and he is now dead. He was someone good, unlike you. Don't bother for me, I'm not hungry, you took away my appetite."

She slammed the door of her room and kicked some stuff in frustration. Then she fell into bed, not even undressing and she started to cry, for herself, for her friend Hiccup, for her family and for her home she wouldn't see again. She smothered her cries in the pillow, not wanting him to hear her. Eventually, weariness overtook her.

The next day when she was awake, she had a slight moment when she wondered where she was and then she remembered. That damn chief! She put on some fresh clothes and took her axe in order to train with Heather and Fishlegs.

She exited the room, only to see Fury sitting at the table, some fruits prepared for breakfast, and though she had no wish to share his company, she went to sit silently. She first thought of leaving and eat outside, but she wasn't some dog who would just leave the house because she feared her 'master'. He was still wearing his mask, it wasn't going to put her in a good mood.

"Astrid?"

She didn't answer him, she didn't even look at him. He took a deep breath, hoping she would listen to him right now.

"There is something I want to propose you: let's strike a deal."

Now she eyed him with curiosity. He searched for his words carefully, he was feeling incredibly lost because of all that was happening. As he expected, she was angry, but when she told him that he only considered her as some kind of prized object! He needed to tell her it wasn't the case, but she wouldn't trust him because she never saw his face, learned his name or his intentions...When she had told him about 'Hiccup her friend', he had been more touched than he dared to show: she didn't forget him…Yet he was sure she complimented little Hiccup only to make the chief of Endris feel bad.

When she had left the room yesterday, he had taken off his mask and put his forehead against the door, listening to her while her cries seemed to pierce his ears. For a moment, he had wanted to come in, talk to her, show her his face, but he couldn't because he was way too scared. Now he hoped she would be curious enough to listen to him.

"I don't want to show you my face. But you're right, it's not fair. So, I propose you one thing: I will keep my mask on, but we won't marry until you decide it."

"...What will this mean for Berk?"

"It won't change a thing. The treaty we signed is still valid. All I ask for you is not to wait for too long before accepting."

She hesitated, it wasn't a bad deal, she wanted to see his face but it wasn't the most important.

"Fine. I won't wait too long to choose a date. But once we are married, you take that mask off."

"I will."

She didn't say anything else, she wanted to get away as soon as possible, she was suddenly feeling uneasy and she didn't even know why. She was quick to leave, and though Hiccup knew he hardly made progresses, this was still much better than nothing. He would have to do better tonight.

 **It could have been worse…I guess. Tell me what you think!**


	7. Blades

**Chapter 7**

 **Blades**

 **Hi everyone! Thanks for the reviews, I'm sorry it took longer than usual, but I think this chapter is a bit longer than usual. Some people have been quite harsh with Hiccup because he wouldn't reveal his identity, I'm aware it's indeed not the best thing to do, and that's one of the things he'll have to try to overcome.**

 **Enjoy!**

After Astrid left, Hiccup departed as well, and went in the Council's room in order to find his friends and counsellors. Toothless followed him, although Hiccup would never force him to come for councils, his friend would often follow him, as if he felt Hiccup needed him. People greeted him warmly as he passed by them. He greeted them too in return and stroked Toothless many times on the way.

"You don't know how lucky you are with your Lady, bud."

The dragon cooed in response. Though he wished to spend time with Atsrid and try to bond with her, he had an urgent matter to think of for now, and this matter had a name: Drago Bludvist. If Endris always had advantage on a lot of tribes thanks to the dragons, it wasn't the same with Drago, who enslaved some of those animals. It was because of him that Hiccup had to go back to Endris so hastily, his enemy had launched an attack on his island, and though they were defeated, a lot of buildings had been burned and this attack had been only a distraction. Spies had been sent on the island. Three had been found, one had been killed and the two others taken as prisoners.

 _When he came back, his heart clenched as he saw the burned buildings, he had doubts at time about his role as a chief, but he loved his tribe and no one could question that. He could feel that the population was scared, they started to gather around him, but Camicazi was the first to reach him, and she took him in her house to explain him everything that happened. His hatred against Drago was more vivid after hearing that._

" _I wanted you to come back not only because of this but because the people need to see you. Some were still slaves not long ago, and they are afraid to be sold again. You're the one who make them feels safe."_

" _You were right…We'll do our best, how are the people dealing with it?"_

" _Some of our inhabitants offered shelter, others are sleeping in stables with the dragons."_

" _We'll have to take care of that, but for now, we should take care of our prisoners."_

" _They are already frigging scared and ready to break, but I think you could add a personal touch."_

" _Fine. Let's see how much Fury scares people."_

 _The first spie was in a cold cell, bruises and dried blood on his face. Hiccup still had his mask on, and he could see terror in the man's eyes when he came in. The chief ordered guards to tie him on chair, then Hiccup went to him and leaned toward him, the man was trembling already._

" _So Drago was eager to have some news from us…Maybe I should send him some letters…With a piece of their spies as a present."_

 _He took out his knife and allowed it to run on the man's cheek. He didn't like to do that, he never felt pleasure in other peoples' pain (except maybe Alvin) but it would have been foolish not to take advantage of Fury's reputation. The man was scared, and winced at this sight. Hiccup made the knife slide to his nose which looked broken._

" _This looks pretty bad," he murmured in fake concern, "maybe a quick surgery would do."_

" _F…Fuck you!"_

" _Oh, you hear that Cami!"_

" _Yeah, he is not even afraid to loose his nose! I would be, I'm not ashamed to say it, after all it must be very painful…"_

" _Same…Feeling a cold blade slowly skin and bones, especially since the nose is such a sensitive part…Then the blood would stream inside and out, would leak into my throat and on my face… oh the pain and the taste of the blood would be nauseous!"_

 _The man winced even more, and Hiccup leaned a little closer, his blade going just beneath the nose._

" _I already took away someone's lips, but it was during a battle, I did that quickly, and since then, I wonder what would happen if I did it slowly…What do you think? Would it be more painful than the nose? Such a tender flesh…And slowly inflicting pain is often the worse…What would be worse, the nose or the lips?"_

" _Maybe you could do both?" Cami suggested with a creepy smile. "Our prisoner could tell us the difference by himself. If he doesn't die from the blood loss of course."_

" _Now that's an idea!"_

" _Please, don't do that!" The man screamed._

" _What? No 'Fuck you' anymore?"_

" _No, please!" The man begged._

" _If you talk, I won't. You'll be free to leave, we'll even tell Drago you got killed, so he won't pursue you, after all I pride myself of being grateful to those who helps me. You'll keep your face intact except for those bruises and you'll be allowed to start a new life somewhere else, maybe with your friend who is in the other cell. Tell me, do you really care so much about Drago? Do you have so much loyalty that you would actually lose your life in a gruesome way for him?"_

 _He could see it, that's what decided the spy, he let his knife down as a sign of good faith, and the man just nodded before speaking:_

" _Drago is preparing another attack."_

" _Not really surprising, but it's a start, go ahead."_

" _He wanted to know more about your weapons, your dragons, your warriors, your stocks…He especially wanted to know how well you control the beasts."_

 _This confused Hiccup a little, Drago already had his ways to submit dragons to his will and Hiccup doubted that the man would want to discover friendship between humans and dragons._

" _What else? Why does he want to know that?"_

" _He didn't tell me his plans but I heard him say that he has a new weapon."_

" _What kind of weapon?"_

" _I don't know…"_

" _Are you sure?"_

 _The knife went under his nose again._

" _Yes! I swear I don't know! Drago tells us only what we need to know and do."_

 _This could be true, Drago wouldn't think much of his warriors, the only one he had esteem for was Viggo. his He wouldn't have told this guy something that important. Hiccup himself wouldn't tell his warriors all his schemes even though he respected them._

" _We'll ask your friend too, if Cami and I decide that you're trustworthy, you'll go."_

 _They left the cell and did pretty much the same to the other man who told them pretty much the same things. It could have been a lie they put together, but Hiccup wouldn't believe it, the weapon thing seemed strange for a lie made to avoid torture. The two spies were freed and Fury only had a few last words with the two men:_

" _You got out of that mess in a good way, considering you were spies. Just out of curiosity: what would Drago do if he learned someone betrayed him? Would he treat you like I did, or worse?"_

 _The two men looked terrified once more. Hiccup ordered one of his spy mounted on a changewing to follow them and report them what they did._

" _We could have killed them immediately," one of the jailers pointed out._

" _They hardly know anything. If they go back to their island, they could lead our own spy to something interesting," Camicazi explained before Hiccup could. "And if they run away, it will be one more proof that Drago is really not liked by his own men."_

 _Immediately after that, Hiccup went to the marketplace and the people gathered around him, asking questions or begging him to help them with their homes. He did succeed well to calm them down, and it was in those moments he realized how much they relied on him._

It was the day of his return that he announced his marriage with Astrid Hofferson, and the reactions had been various. Some were against it, saying a better alliance could be made and better girls were already living on the island. Others were simply doubtful about a Hooligan bride, others were curious, and some were positive about it, happy to know that their chief would finally get married. Fury had made his proofs already, but now he needed a wife and heirs to ensure the future of the tribe. Camicazi had been surprised, and soon showed herself very curious to meet Astrid.

He entered the council's room where only Heather, Eret and Camicazi were sitting. The latter looked exhausted. He remembered that though she was a tough person, she wasn't the best to handle some daily problems the village could face and she had to deal with a lot of mess while he, Heather and Eret were gone. Heather smiled to him:

"Our spy sent a report, the two men we released went south, as far as possible from Drago."

"Good for them, it was the smartest decision they could take," he turned to Eret, "do you know what the weapon Drago is preparing could be?"

"No, when I was still working for him, he would hardly treat us as men, and we only had to obey his orders without asking questions. I doubt he changed, so the spy probably didn't know anything. And I never heard rumors about a weapon back then."

"Maybe it's that, maybe he found a very dangerous kind of dragons and wants to know how we could handle an eventual attack," Heather suggested.

"I want more sentinels and regular patrols around the island, if Drago comes I want the fight to happen on the sea as far as possible from Endris. Cami, you told me that Ryker and Viggo weren't here during the attack?"

"No, they weren't, but maybe they were on the island handling the tribe while Drago wasn't here."

"I'm pretty sure they are around, trying something or hunting the dragons."

"Then we need to watch out for any sign of them."

"I'll need to recruit more people," Camicazi sighed.

Hiccup put her in charge of the security a while ago, and the work was hard, Hiccup got her partners at time to handle that work, but none of them ever held long with her. Camicazi was demanding when it came to people's abilities, and though Hiccup couldn't deny it was a good thing when it came to important responsibility, he wished she could just work with someone instead of handling that on her own. Instead, Hiccup, Eret and Heather would help her as much as possible but they had their own jobs.

"It will recquire more money," Heather murmured, "we already had to buy more materials to build back the houses, now if we have to add the salary of more soldiers…We could rise the price of honey and hydromel a bit, not too much but just enough for a better income."

"We could also send some young warriors attack pirate ships," Eret suggested. "Some are already begging for adventures with their dragons. We could charge them to come back with gold for the tribe."

"That's an idea, we could also send them to attack the new outcasts," Hiccup added.

"Maybe once our war against Drago is done, we can't have another tribe after us," Heather murmured.

"Outcasts island doesn't have many people, they are a weak tribe, we don't risk and it would show them not to mess with us," Cami said.

"I think they found enough skeletons on their island to know that."

Although they massacred Alvin's tribe, the island was still the place were banished people would be sent. Now a new tribe was arising, and though they weren't the ones who killed his father, Hiccup wouldn't mind stealing from them. He knew it wasn't the rightest thing to do, but every Viking tribe would have their share of raids and pirates. Plus, outcasts were mostly traitors, murderers or rapists who escaped the death they should have been given, and pirates weren't very different either. In fact, he had recently heard that they were starting to participate to the slave trade. The chief of Endris couldn't let that happen.

"Let them attack the pirates and the Outcasts. They'll have to bring back gold, tell us about the Outcasts forces and also free any slaves they see," Hiccup decided. "We'll also do as you suggested, Heather, we will sell honey and hydromel a bit higher. We'll also need to train the warriors who'll be in the expedition, I don't want them to mess it because they didn't receive proper instructions."

"Well, I could leave that to Belda," Cami suggested, "she isn't good to organize patrols or anything, but she knows how to train beginners."

"Fine. Now we have to go back to Drago, we can't attack as long as we don't know what this weapon is, maybe we should send a spy?" Heather proposed.

The idea wasn't greeted well. Yesterday, they received a letter from Mala, their most precious ally, telling them that some spies of hers had been sent back in pieces to her. Hiccup had felt almost guilty for sending one of his men after the two he released, if he had come back in pieces too…

"We can say whatever we want about Drago, he knows how to smell spies and attacks," Eret said.

"Approaching Drago would be way too difficult, maybe we could try to capture some men who could tell us more?" Heather suggested.

"Who? Drago hardly tell his warriors anything."

"Some of them surely knows."

"Viggo," Hiccup declared, "Viggo will know, and maybe Ryker.'

The two brothers were dragon hunters and close to Drago, Viggo more especially, his intelligence had made Drago notice and esteem him more than others. As for Ryker, he was efficient and obedient, something Drago probably appreciated a lot.

"Yeah! Those two will know."

"We need to send some people to search for them," Heather said.

"We could do it ourselves," Eret declared.

"No, we need to be here for the tribe," Hiccup decided, "we need to show the people we're here. Once we know where they are, we'll lead something ourselves, but not before."

They prepared their plans and once they were over, Cami looked at Hiccup.

"So, now that we are done with this, tell me: how did it go with your future wife?"

"Well…Astrid isn't exactly happy to be here."

He explained him what happened in the house, not giving the details but the big lines. Heather seemed a little satisfied, Eret concerned and Cami angered. Heather had sent her a letter via a Terrible Terror while on the boat, and told her how furious Astrid had been. Although a part of her could understand, Camicazi still wouldn't tolerate someone to insult her friend and chief like that. She had decided to give him her loyalty and trust, so whoever insulted him insulted her as well.

"I told you it would happen," Heather sneered.

"Come on, Heather. Things will get better eventually," Eret said. "But yeah, I guess that was to be expected."

"She is not in her home with her stupid chief. You should remind her of that," Cami declared.

The girl left, and Heather's eyes darkened. She would have to tell Hiccup about the way Cami acted toward Astrid when they met. However, the young man went outside to fly with Toothless. She and Eret decided they would also fly with their dragons and join Astrid and Fishlegs a little later.

Meanwhile, Astrid had found Fishlegs at the training grounds and they started to discuss together. She told him what happened with Fury.

"Well, I guess we can be glad you didn't kill him."

"And what about you?"

"Well, I live with one of the sailors who I met on the boat. It's not as comfortable as the chief's house however."

"We can switch if you want."

"I guess you're the queen of whining," a voice suddenly declared.

The two Hooligans turned to see two women coming and Astrid recognized that Camicazi, the girl from the harbor. She was with a brown-haired girl who had a sword.

"It's her indeed, I must say it's one thing to have a foreign chieffess, but a whinner!" Sneered Camicazi.

"I guess the poor little thing is frightened…"

"Well, Fishlegs, seems that Fury doesn't have dragons only, he has loyal dogs as well. Now he should teach them how to behave."

"Are you calling us dogs?!"

"Didn't you hear me?"

"What do you want?" Asked Fishlegs

"We want to see if the whinner has some worth, if she doesn't, she'll be taught a lesson," Camicazi said, putting her axe before herself.

"You planned to attack someone alone?" Spat Fishlegs

"She can fight us one by one, we, Bog-Burglars have some honor, but if she needs you so much to protect her, be it. Want to go first, Hillevi?"

The brown-haired girl nodded. Astrid took her axe and put her arm before Fishlegs, silently telling him she wanted to do that alone. She threw the first blow which was countered by Hillevi's sword and her foot went right into the girl's knee. A yelp of pain was heard, and their weapons meet again and again. That Hillevi was good, but she lacked Astrid's swiftness and precision. Every time she tried to make Astrid lose her balance, the Hooligan would just parry the attacks and even manage to make her stumble at a time. She dodged or parried every attack with address and soon some people gathered around them to see what was happening. Camicazi explained some people why they were challenging the newcomer already. With a swing of her axe, she disarmed her adversary and made her fall with a kick in the stomach. Hillevi found herself on the ground with an axe at her throat.

"Want a rematch?"

"Don't boast, you didn't fight me yet," Cami declared icily.

Astrid was actually impatient, this woman had already enraged her on the docks, and her hatred had worsened. She had beat the other one easily, it wouldn't be that difficult with her either. They both had axes, the first blows were violent and quick, and soon Astrid realized she was wrong. Camicazi was better than Hillevi and stronger, and this only made her even angrier! She managed to punch Astrid in the face and almost disarmed her, Astrid parried and sent her forehead in Cami's head. Although she made the Bog-Burglar yelp and back away, she didn't manage to break her nose or knock her out. Boiling with rage, she retaliated once more and almost disarmed Camicazi, the girl was losing balance and Astrid managed to kick her in the stomach. She lunged at her once but the Bog-Burglar swiftly dodged and attacked with so much strength Astrid stumbled. Two other strong blows followed and though Astrid blocked both, she got kicked in the stomach as well. Under the shock, her hold on the axe lessened. She had hardly recovered balance when Camicazi's axe struck hers and she got disarmed. She tried to get her axe back but Cami's blade was soon under her neck. She had lost.

It took her all her will-power not to burst out at this. Not only this woman just beat her in front of many people, but she had been unable to beat the one who insulted her in so many ways. At least she was still standing. With a satisfied smirk, Cami put her axe back on her belt. Hillevi smirked and sneered:

"Not so strong anymore, huh?"

This was just such a stupid remark from someone who got beaten that even Camicazi who was on her side raised an eyebrow at her. Fishlegs grabbed Astrid's axe, and gave it back to her while she replied to the idiot:

"Shut up, I have other things to do than hear a sore looser _whining_. At least I confront my problems myself, unlike your Fury who send his dogs to beat down whoever upset him!"

Hillevi snorted at her, who did she think she was? Okay, she just beat her, yet there was no way she would let anyone insult her or her chief that way! Just like Cami, he had given him her loyalty, her trust, and even her affection at a point (even though he never returned anything).

"Okay, you beat me, but that doesn't change anything concerning Fury. You're here only as a present because your tribe couldn't give anything else, so don't think you have the right to spit on our chief's face!"

Astrid's blood boiled at this. She didn't notice, but Camicazi's eyes widened in indignation at this: it was one thing to test that girl, it was another to call a woman a present. Yet she didn't say a word, she saved that for later, she would see how the 'chieffess' would defend herself. Astrid didn't see Cami's reaction, she was too angry at Hillevi to pay attention to anyone else. Yet it was Fishlegs who spoke first:

"You speak just like the merchants who takes slaves and sold them like objects! And you dare to say you're better than them..."

"Don't you dare compare me to..."

"Oh, he can dare, since you compare me to a present! Who else thinks of people like that?! If I'm nothing but an object, don't expect me to feel more respect for your Fury than an object would!"

"You've got no idea of what it is to be a slave, you bitch! Fury could be mistreating you..."

"If Fury consider it as his right to mistreat me, then he is nothing but a savage, and no better than men who whore out poor girls! Fuck, is that how Bog-burglar really are?! I thought of them as strong women, but here you forbid me to speak ill of a man I'm forced to marry! Odin, if they all think that women are presents and should be thankful toward men for not being abusive, then this reputation is a fucking joke!"

Hillevi looked startled and she paled while hearing this. Astrid went on, still so angry:

"Tell me now, how should I feel? I'm being sold by an incompetent chief I despise, to someone who ruined my tribe, and I should be thankful?! Did you feel thankful for your masters because they didn't maim or kill you?! I'm not one to be a submissive wife, and I'm not one to be mistreated! If I have to get called a bitch for that, be it! If your Fury ever tried to be abusive toward me, I would make him pay the price, no matter the consequences!"

"And I personally couldn't blame you," said a low, tight voice behind her.

She and Fishlegs turned around to see Heather standing, looking at Hillevi with angry and icy eyes. Camicazi dropped her mask and looked suddenly concerned. Heather went to Astrid, put a hand on her arm and started to lead her away. Astrid allowed her to do so while Fishlegs was following, though she would have liked to yell at her enemy a little more, Heather's expression just stunned her.

"Heather, what..."

"Please...Not now..."

Though she wasn't crying, she looked like she was about to do so, and her voice sounded tearful and trembling. Heather told her she didn't want to speak of her past on the boat.

"I'll find you both later, okay?"

She left in a hurry, and though Astrid's first move was to follow her and ask her to explain, she felt Fishlegs's hand on her shoulder.

"Wait, I don't think she'll talk to us."

He was right, she would have to wait. They walked away and the rage which had been briefly cooled down burned again in her. They were close to the forest now and they were alone.

"Those freaking bitches! I don't care what they say, I won't let anyone treat me like that!"

"You're right, I wished you had let me help you."

"I had to do this myself Fishlegs, I had to prove my worth! But I…I let that one beat me!"

"Hey, what are you two doing here?"

They saw Eret landing with his dragon and a smile on his face which faltered when he saw their expressions. The two explained him what happened, knowing he would eventually learn anyway.

"They wanted to test you it seems, but they went a too far in what they said," Eret declared. "Hillevi is not like that usually, and neither is Cami, I don't get what's wrong with them."

"The simple fact she exists is wrong to begin with!"

"Anyway, I think you did prove your worth, don't worry that much."

This afternoon, she trained like crazy, it had been a close match with Camicazi but loosing honorably wasn't enough for her. The respect she used to feel for Bog-Burglars disappeared: whores, that was all they were! Anger didn't leave her, especially not once she came back to that wretched home after training. Hiccup went back home after her, when he found her she was sitting and sharpening her axe, he saw immediately that she was angry and blessed Thor that Toothless was with him!

"Astrid..."

"Leave me alone."

He sat at her side, even if she looked at him with murderous eyes. She wasn't really thinking that he send those two, but she still had doubts.

"You really shouldn't taunt me when I'm sharpening my axe."

"I'm not, even if my presence can seem taunting to you."

"You're right on that!"

"I heard there was a fight..."

She sighed in pure exasperation, but surprisingly she found no sharp reply for him. Maybe because she was tired, but also because she had some questions for him, and she needed him to stay conscious to answer her.

"What did you tell your tribe about me, exactly?"

"...Pretty much the big lines, that a marriage had been arranged between us, I told them your name and that was all. Why? I don't know what happened exactly..."

"If you think I'm gonna complain to you like some scared little girl you're wrong!"

"No, it's not that, I just wanted to understand..."

"I just needed you to answer me. I can defend myself otherwise."

She was turning her back to him, and he couldn't help but admire the way her slim, curved waist ended on hips which were not too small but not too large either. He also looked at a part of her neck which wasn't hidden by her braid, it was finely shaped, it looked almost fragile, and the skin soft...He left the house without a word, in order to find Eret or Heather to get some explanations. Astrid was glad to be alone, and she soon left for her own room. She hardly had any sleep that night, she was still so angry. She hated that place, she hated all those dragons and those women! She would show them, she promised herself, she would show them she wasn't one to be messed with. Camicazi won a fight, but they would get even!

 **Fight scenes are still difficult to write, it's easier than before, but it's still my weak point. Don't worry for Astrid, she won't see only the bad sides of Endris. Don't hesitate to review and to point out phrasing or grammar mistakes.**


	8. A New Face

**Chapter 8**

 **A New Face**

 **Hi! This chapter comes quite early, but don't get used to that. The thing is, I have the big lines in my head already when I write a story, so at times, when I'm not inspired for the next chapter, I write scenes for another. Some scenes in this chapter were already written since long, that's what allows me to update early. I'm updating Dragon's Prince after that, promise.**

 **A special thanks toward Arizona for pointing out some mistakes, I fixed those, it's always useful when someone helps me with that!**

 **Enjoy!**

Astrid found Fishlegs again in the morning and they decided to go to the woods. They wanted to be alone to speak, and they had always walked through the forest on Berk when they wanted privacy.

"So, how are you doing?"

"I'm fine Fishlegs, don't worry."

She was still angry, but it was a colder rage. The boy knew her too well to ignore that.

"She wasn't that stronger, maybe it was only misluck, one can't win every time."

"I know, I know…I wanted to thank you by the way, for what you said."

"No problem."

They reached the border of the woods, they were far enough from the houses and therefore they would be in peace.

"But you know, even if you're angry right now, you need to get to know them a little more."

She stopped there, right in her tracks.

"Are you talking about those two bitches?"

"No, I'm talking about other people of this island. That kind of things will happen again if you don't make any friends, if they all dislike you, being chieffess here will be Helheim."

He was right, that was she hated and loved about him: he had that habit to be right way too often. He continued:

"I'm also angry at those girls, but it's only them you have to blame, maybe the others are better. And that kind of things happens because no one here knows you, except Eret and Heather. I spoke with some sailors on the ship, they were all slaves."

"You told me that."

"I heard some stories, all sad. They are people who were taken and expected to obey anyone who would buy them. I guess they are defiant toward someone supposed to be their chieffess and who they hardly know."

"Fishlegs…" She sighed. "It's not the problem. I wouldn't have been angered if they had only wanted me to show my worth, it would have been legitimate. But they didn't only do that, they wanted to humiliate me and submit me. It's hypocrite of them to claim they fight against slavery and then treat me like some merchandise."

"You're right, I totally agree with that, but it was only those girls. Heather and Eret don't agree with that, and maybe others disagree too. You need to know those people, otherwise you'll judge them badly too."

She nodded, he was right, damn right. She needed to make friends, she couldn't remain alone and surrounded by enemies. Eret and Heather had been kind to her, so what about the others? Once again her mind went to Hiccup and remembered how unhappy the boy had been before she and the others decided to side up with him. Yes, it would be good to try.

"What are you doing here?"

The voice startled them, and they saw Heather with her dragon, she got down and she seemed sad despite her smile. Astrid remembered her expression yesterday, the girl had seemed almost wounded, but Fishlegs was right (once again), maybe she wasn't ready to speak.

"Hi. Just talking, we'll also take a walk in the woods."

"Can I join you?"

"Of course!" Fishlegs replied hastily, "I mean, why not?"

They both stood up and Heather showed them a path through the woods. Windshear flew away instead of following them and played with other dragons in the woods. They continued to speak all the while.

"Astrid, I'm sorry because what happened yesterday is…Partly my fault."

"What do you mean?"

"I wrote a letter to Camicazi on the boat, to report her the situation and let her know we were going to come back soon. I told her how furious you were, and that you…You weren't feeling very friendly toward dragon riders and Fury. I didn't mean to undermine you, all I wanted was to let her know you wouldn't be happy to come here and I thought that she would understand just like me. But I was wrong."

Astrid wondered if that was the reason why she looked so upset yesterday. It seemed bigger than that, but maybe she was wrong. She just shrugged:

"People would have learned anyway. Plus, you only told her what happened, you're not responsible for her reaction."

Heather smiled to her, but she still felt a little guilty. Fishlegs, who had listened, asked:

"How did Fury react when he learned?"

"He doesn't know everything yet, but he will. I'm pretty sure he'll be angry. He probably didn't expect that to happen."

The Hooligans looked at each other, Heather was a good person, but was she blinded by her friendship toward him, or was she right? After all she misjudged Camicazi.

"I'll join people in the Great Hall at noon, there will be a council, But I can stay with you in the meantime and show you our sacred oak trees."

The two accepted gladly, they weren't very religious, but it didn't mean they would never pray to the gods.

"I especially like oak trees, they are so majestic and fascinating," he murmured.

"Me too," Heather replied. "It gives away something very peaceful."

They walked like this for some times, until Heather had to go back. The two Hooligan couldn't join her, Fishlegs wasn't part of the tribe, and Astrid wasn't yet. She waved goodbye to them and promised to join them once more.

When she went to the Great Hall, she saw Hiccup and Eret on the way, the older man was explaining him what happened, and she joined him to tell him what she heard. Hiccup knew something happened, but he didn't know what exactly, that's why he had commanded them to come for the council and asked Eret to tell him what he knew. Hearing it all just made him boil with rage: how dared they say such things to her?

"They are in the Great Hall," Eret said, "what are you gonna do?"

Hiccup knew perfectly he couldn't just order them to leave Astrid alone. Oh, not that anything forbad him, and they would have obeyed. Yet, if he did that, Astrid would appear weak, it would make everyone think she needed protection. He couldn't do that to her, she could gain their respect by herself, he was sure of that. However, he couldn't let that pass without a word either. When the chief entered, everyone turned their heads toward him. He was furious, that was obvious, and even though she was usually not afraid of him, even Camicazi didn't like to see him like that. Hillevi was the most anxious.

"Apparently the two of you seems to think very lowly of me, and see me hardly better than the rats who sell slaves! From what I heard, my future wife can be thankful that I'm not beating her, and being engaged to me lowers her to a simple present! Is being my bethroted such a degrading thing for a woman?!"

Actually, he was furious for Astrid, not himself, but he knew it was important to show them the stupidity of their behavior, and that they insulted him too. It would give more weight to his words.

"We never said that!"

"It was maybe not your intention, but in the end that's what you did. You pretended to defend me but all you did was insulting both me and Astrid in a low way. And is that how you consider people? Is that how you consider women: as things to be offered? No one here is an object!"

The young woman blushed even more at this, everyone in the hall was looking at her, some didn't know what happened already and whispers were heard.

"We were just challenging her and we wanted to defend you..."

"Silence! I don't need to be defended, I can handle my personal life! And you have the right to challenge her, I'm fine with it, but you didn't just do that. You, Bog-Burglars who are supposed to refuse men's domination, you tried to force Astrid into mine! And when I never asked for it! You spoke of me as if I would act like the people I fight, you insulted the people we're saving, you spat on our believes and on my reputation!"

"You're serious?" Camicazi was baffled: "I agree, Hillevi shouldn't have said that, but don't accuse her of spitting on your face when that girl insults you as well!"

"I would react like her if I had to be married by force, no matter how respectable my betrothed would be! I can't blame her for a reaction I would have in the same situation. And you two would do the same as well, maybe you would be worse! And what were you expecting? That you would beat her and suddenly she would love me and respect me?! If anything you gave her a worse opinion of me and of this island!"

This time they had no answer to give. Heather was looking at them with a deadly look. At first, she blamed mostly Hillevi, but she had heard what Camicazi said and she remembered the first encounter on the docks. This time, her friend went too far.

"Her reaction is what I expected, however I wasn't expecting my tribe, and especially those I trust, to dishonor our values and my name. Having to take a wife in such a way is not a subject of pride for me even if it was necessary, I don't need you to worsen it."

"Maybe Hillevi and Camicazi should spend time helping the healers with the newcomers," Heather suggested coldly. "It would remind them the importance of respecting people properly."

"Will you stop that!" Shrieked Cami. "Okay, some things we said were wrong, but we had the right to be angry! Why should I tolerate her to insult our ways, our tribe and our chief like that?! Am I supposed to bow to her..."

"Oh shut up, don't try to play the victim! You're the one who created conflict, take on it! No one is asking you to bow or any of that, but treating her like you did was just despicable!"

"Well I'm sorry, but I'm a strong one and a warrior, I'm not some nanny! If she wants to cry her heart out, I'm not here to give her my shoulder. Swearing to your chief means defending him, and I'm not taking whining like this…"

"A lot of us did cry after being taken away from our homes," declared an older woman in the assembly, "I don't consider myself as weak for crying when everything was taken away from me."

"And we aren't supposed to defend our chief no matter what he does, e have the right to think on our own," a man stated

Those interventions stunned Camicazi a little, she had forgotten the other people, and it was indeed true; a lot of people here had cried, yet she had fought for them nonetheless. Also, blind obedience was despised on Endris. Heather spoke once more:

"Trying to force a woman to submit to a man is surely the definition of strength! And let me tell you that for someone who hates whining so much, you're making quite a lot! What are you gonna do next? Throw a tantrum because she is not nice enough?!"

Shame grew in Camicazi, she also remembered what Heather went through before Hiccup saved her and realized that she was probably very hurt. She was proud and hard-headed, yet deep down she was starting to feel really guilty. Hiccup's words had an impact on her, and now Heather was also starting to show her something she didn't want to see. Now the way she went to defend Hiccup seemed less dignified that she thought, and stupider as well.

"Just imagine how you would feel if you were dragged in for an arranged marriage and then insulted because you aren't submissive enough?! Or if you saw me or our chief being treated like that? And, just as Fury said, you're a Bog-Burglar, you're supposed to stop men from dominating women, you should side up with her if you still had some of those values!"

Several people agreed with Heather on that. Hiccup silenced them and spoke once more:

"Hillevi, I don't want you to come in the Great Hall or for any council anymore. You'll go to the healers and work under their orders as Heather suggested, you'll come back when I'll judge you deserve it. Camicazi, you'll do the same, except that councils will still be open to you."

None of them protested but they were angry, and they left quickly. The chief looked at Cami once more, he would have to speak to her later. After this, he exposed his decisions to his people. The vigilance had to be increased, and anyone who had a sight or an information about Ryker or Viggo would have to report it as soon as possible. He also informed merchants that the prices would rise a bit, and they required volunteers for the mission which consisted in attacking Outcasts and pirates. Many young warriors volunteered for that, hasty to go on adventure.

It didn't take very long, and they all eventually sat on the table to eat their lunch. Fury went with some of his people and they spoke of what happened. Some stood with Astrid, other with Hillevi; he worked on convincing them that even though it was normal for them to want to defend their chief, Astrid's behavior was also normal. Most of them knew what it was to be captive after all, and even though he was giving her good conditions, she wasn't here because she wanted to. Eventually, he managed to convince them.

Once the lunch was over, he was about to get out, when Eret's hand on his shoulder held him back.

"Can I speak to you in private?"

"Of course?"

They went outside and found a place where they would alone, by the cliff. Both their dragons joined them, they sat and faced the sea. Toothless put his head on Hiccup's lap.

"Hiccup, it would be time I think."

"What are you talking about?"

"This secret identity thing was good when you were still building your tribe, saying you were Hiccup of Berk would have been dangerous, but now...It would be good to reveal who you really are."

"Not now."

It was ridiculous, he knew it, he had confronted himself to many dangerous things, almost died countless times while building Endris, fighting against slave traders and other tribes, and exploring new islands. But saying who he was...And it wasn't the only problem: even if he had wished to tell everyone who he was, Drago was still here. If the madman learned who he was, what kind of consequences would appear? Maybe he would threaten to attack Berk, and Hiccup didn't want that. Fury had no past, but Hiccup had, and it could be dangerous in Drago's hands.

"Hiccup, you proved your worth, you have power now, it's not like back then when our tribe was still fragile and vulnerable. You have built something impressive."

"Fury did that, not Hiccup."

"Last time I checked, they were the same, it's just time for people to know. That mask and that fake identity didn't help as much as you think."

Hiccup huffed but couldn't help and think of what Eret just said. Of course it did, Hiccup of Berk would have been pursued endlessly by his uncle, and would have never got the credibility to build a tribe, even with Toothless. But it was true that in the end, Fury's mask only gave him more confidence, the rest had been done by Hiccup.

"You know...When I had doubts about my capacities as a leader, or when I was in big danger...I would always repeat myself: 'You're the son of Stoick the Vast, you're not going to fail.' I miss him, and I know he would probably say the same things you did."

"And he would probably proud to see how many people you saved. And Astrid and Fishlegs would understand, if you told them. They are good people, I spoke with them, even if Astrid is angry right now."

He hadn't seen Fishlegs yet, but it had touched him to know he would meet him again as well. They had been close after all. Yes, he wished to tell them who he was, but it was too soon.

"I wish I could tell her and Fishlegs who I am, but I don't know them anymore, I need to know what kind of persons they became first before revealing them who I am. If they ever let that leak out, maybe Drago and Viggo will take advantage of it. Plus, with everything that happened, maybe waiting a little will be good for Astrid too. She got enough emotions. Even Fishlegs will have a big shock."

Eret remained silent it was true he didn't consider this. Knowing who Fury really was would have made no difference with other enemies, but Drago and Viggo were different. The two had ways to use even the slightest things in twisted ways. They had already been dangerous when they were fighting apart, but now that they were together…And it was true indeed that it would be a lot to bear for both Hooligans to sooth their feelings a little before learning the truth.

 **O o O**

Heather had joined the two Hooligans once more to spend some more time with them and show them some other parts of the woods. At a point, when Fishlegs was looking at a kind of flower he never saw before, Astrid turned to Heather:

"Hey…I wanted to tell you that it's okay about the letter, don't beat yourself over it."

"Yes...I...I'm still sorry. As I told I don't tell my story to people easily, but I can tell you I know what is it to be treated like...a merchandise. And I saw horrible things done to slaves. That's why I didn't like what Cami and Hillevi did. Fury was furious too."

She explained him what was told. Astrid wasn't sure what to think of that, at least, Fury wasn't stupid enough to order anyone to leave her alone. Still, she would have to speak to him, she couldn't know his intention by hearing him through Heather. Yet what she heard started to make her see him in a better light. When their walk was over, Astrid went back to Fury's home in the late afternoon, thinking a lot about her conversation with Heather, when she saw a young woman inside the house. Astrid was a little stunned, she still had her axe in hand, and the stranger jumped in fright when she saw her.

"Oh Thor! Oh, I wasn't expecting anyone to enter right now! Wha...What are you doing with this axe?!"

"Who are you and what are you doing here?"

"I'm Kalisha, the maid."

Astrid sighed and felt stupid: Fury was the chief of the tribe, he had to have at least one maid. Plus, she always came home to find food prepared and the place clean, she just didn't pay attention. She put her axe down, and the girl smiled at her. She was a plain girl, but she had a beautiful smile which made her eyes shine. That name, Kalisha, it reminded her of something, but she couldn't put her finger on it.

"I cleaned the house, I was about to prepare dinner. Your name is Astrid if I'm right?"

"Yes, Astrid Hofferson. I didn't see you here before."

"I usually come at the beginning of the afternoon, when no one's there, so I can move around easily without bothering anyone. You must be hungry, I'll hurry up to prepare dinner!"

Astrid took off her vest and she saw Kalisha putting some meat and vegetables on the table as well as some honey. She sat at the maid's side and took a knife to help her, she never had a maid in her life and it would have made her uneasy to have someone work while she was doing nothing.

"Oh you don't need to..."

"It's alright, I used to cook back home...My mother would kill me if she knew I was getting lazy!"

Kalisha chuckled at this.

"Your mother and mine have something in common it seems. Prepare the meat for me while I'll cut the vegetables."

As the two girls cooked together, they started to get to know each other, it was quite soothing to have a casual conversation after everything that recently happened. She learned that Kalisha was coming from an island south.

"Honey is way less rare in my home town, when I was sold to the Berserkers I must admit it's something I missed."

"So, you were a slave?"

"Yes, thankfully, I'm not very beautiful, so I was only a domestic slave. Not that I enjoyed it, but it was still better than what some girls go through. When I was finally freed and brought here, it felt like a rebirth."

"I always thought slavery was a stupid thing," Astrid declared, "we don't have slaves on Berk, and we did very well without it."

"Yeah, exactly!"

She smiled once more and Astrid mimicked her. She seemed to be the kind of person who had something to cheer up people. She put honey on the meat and Astrid was quite curious to taste such a meal, she had never thought of doing such a thing. It smelled delicious already, Kalisha continued the cooking alone as she didn't need any more help, still chattering all the while.

"You should come at the well of women, that's where a lot of us meet, to talk without men, it's the one above the marketplace. Heather comes often, it would allow them to know you, they are quite intrigued, they even asked me questions about you, even though we never met until now!"

"Really?"

"Yes. Once we learned you would marry the chief, a lot of people tried to know more about you, you've quite a reputation! They say you managed to steal back gold from pirates and even killed the captain of the ship, that you searched for a treasure in a haunted and deserted village and that you participated to the rescue of the daughter of a chief who had been kidnapped."

Astrid felt a little embarrassed and flattered at the same time. She didn't think her reputation could have reached Endris like this and it felt strange that this girl knew so much about her.

"You said I could meet your friends to the well above the marketplace?"

"Yes, I'll be there tomorrow as well, our dragons will probably be with us, but don't worry they are very nice."

"I'm not scared."

"Oh, that's not what I'm saying, but a lot of foreigners tends to be on the edge. You were trained to kill dragons all your life, weren't you?"

"Yes, of course."

"Riding them is much funnier, well from what I heard at least, I'm afraid of heights, needless to say it's not really fitting into a tribe of dragon riders!"

They both giggled at this.

"Heather tried to help me with that, but it was useless. So instead, she'll teach me to read and write."

"You never learned?"

It came out by itself, but she immediately realized the stupidity of her words and could have slapped herself: of course Kalisha never learned to read, she had been a mere domestic slave. The girl shook her head, Astrid was about to say she would help her if she wished, but she was interrupted when she heard the door open.

 **O o O**

When Hiccup came back home, he was really nervous. Would she be as angry as yesterday? He was happy to find her talking with Kalisha. The girl was joyful as usual, and Astrid was smiling; obviously, Kalisha's charm had conquered her. The thin girl turned toward him, and her smiling face brightened a little more while Astrid's one faltered.

"Chief! I'm done with the dinner and the cleaning. Honestly, your dragon really need to stop bringing his kills home."

"You found bones again?"

"Yes, hidden in a corner, as if I wasn't going to see those!"

Hiccup threw a look at Toothless which let the dragon knows he wasn't happy with him, the beast's ears flattened and Astrid could have laughed at the way he acted: like a guilty puppy.

"My apologies for him, Kalisha. Eret should be home by now, and I imagine he wouldn't like me to keep his fiancee away from him."

"Eret? Wait, you're his fiancée?"

"Yes, I am!"

"Of course…Now, I remember, he told me your name on the boat, I didn't remember it."

"It's alright. I didn't want to speak marriage for now, Cryda and Vami are already talking so much about it every time we meet, it's becoming stressful! You'll meet them tomorrow, maybe they'll be so curious about you they'll give me a break!"

Truth to be told, Kalish hadn't wanted to tell her that because she would have felt uneasy talking about marriage before a girl who had been brought for an arranged one. But Astrid would have learned about it anyway. Astrid smiled to her:

"I'll come tomorrow morning, promise. Tell Eret that I'm sorry if I kept you too long!"

"It's not so bad for him to wait for me a little, it reminds him I have to be appreciated!"

The young woman left them and only the two betrothed and the dragon remained. Hiccup gave his dragon his dinner and sat at the table with Astrid. They tasted the dinner, and Astrid had to say it was excellent, probably one of the best meal she ever ate. She turned to Fury:

"I heard you spoke about me during your council."

"Yes, we did, I was explained everything this morning. I'm sorry about what happened, what they said, and it was wrong of them. I'm not the only one who think so."

She wasn't really expecting apologies. He went on:

"This situation isn't easy for you, I know it, and it was wrong of her to say those things. I know you're angry and I would be so if I were you."

Astrid was quite surprised at this, she had seen he wasn't a savage, but she wasn't expecting him to talk like that. In spite of what Heather told her on the boat, she had been expecting a madman like Dagur the Deranged or a very cruel one or a rapist before she met him. Yet for now he behaved decently, though not being cruel toward her was only fair.

"Is that why you proposed me to choose when we would marry?"

"I guessed it would be easier for you."

"I thought it was only about your face."

"Well, for now it's better if I hide my face, but you'll see me eventually. You know…I didn't want to hurt you, nor the people of your tribe. It's easy to make the amalgam between a chief and his tribe, I know it's Spitelout who decided to start this war, not your entire tribe, even if some of them might have wished it. I heard you weren't even among the warriors who attacked Endris."

"Indeed. I was on a quest."

"I couldn't let that attack pass, but I didn't want to end things in a bloodbath or condemn Berk. We got a solution which was perfect for that, but you paid the price of it even though it wasn't your fault. I'm sorry."

Suddenly, she felt very conflicted. She hadn't forgot her anger, she was still incredibly sad, and a bit scared by all of this. Yet she knew all that made sense, and she had blamed Spitelout much more than the Endrisians for what happened. She remembered how they spoke about it with Fishlegs. A marriage was indeed the best way to end things, but there had still been something wrong in all of this. Plus, they were riding dragons, and all her life she had been taught to hate them. That hatred had gone worse since one of them devoured Hiccup. However, hearing him say that he understood her felt good.

"We both agree it's Spitelout's fault."

"I heard you said I ruined your tribe."

"I said that out of anger, though in a way you did, even if you had a good reason to attack. I can't overpass that too easily, no matter the reason. But I do know Spitelout is the real one to blame, we spoke about that with Fishlegs. Look, you're maybe not a monster, and you're probably not as bad as Spitelout but that doesn't mean I want you as my husband or that I even like you."

It was true, it was very true, what was he expecting? Even if she admitted they weren't at faults, it wouldn't mean she would like them. But no, he had to try. Of course, what happened made her angry, but his words seemed to do something to her.

"Did you have something with Camicazi or Hillevi?" Asked Astrid suddenly. "Heather told me Camicazi is only your friend but…I wanted to hear it from your mouth."

"No. Camicazi and I were always friends and nothing else. As for Hillevi, we never were close, she never was a lover or even a close friend of mine."

Maybe he didn't feel anything for her, but she wondered if Hillevi had feelings for him. He looked at her and tried something clumsy:

"You know…You're furious for now, but things could work out better than you think. Give at least the island a chance. It could become your home."

"I doubt that, honestly."

There was no anger in her voice this time, just sadness. She finished her dinner quickly and left him, missing the resolve in his eyes. He left the house after she locked herself in her room. The next morning, Astrid prepared herself to go to the marketplace. She hadn't forgot Kalisha's words and she knew that she had to meet more people. Plus, it would provide a nice distraction. As she got out of her room, she found her husband-to-be waiting for her.

"Before you leave, I would like you to come with me."

"Why?"

"I want to show you something. Or, more exactly, give you something, but it's outside."

She hesitated, though she didn't want to appear obedient, she was also curious. As if he was reading her mind, he insisted:

"Aren't you at least curious to know? You can leave if you don't like it."

"I have to meet Kalisha to the marketplace."

"It's still early, the merchants are still preparing themselves. And she'll probably stay to the well all morning. It won't be very long."

She shrugged and accepted. The way his eyes brightened a little allowed her to know he was smiling and she let him lead her, wondering what he had planned. The morning wind was blowing softly, and the village was still peaceful, waking up slowly. She had to admit the place was strange but entrancing under the morning sun. She soon understood he was leading her toward the dragon-training area. When they came in, Astrid saw that the dragons had open stables, they could come in and out as they wished, they weren't locked up.

"What are we doing here?"

"Well, I told you this place could be your home, and you told me you doubted that. It's true indeed that it would be difficult, you're in a foreign land, surrounded by people who ride dragons and you know no one. So, consider that this is my first gift to you."

"You want to give me a dragon?!"

She couldn't believe it, he couldn't be serious! But very obviously, he was.

 **For those who don't remember, Heather speak of Eret's fiancée in chapter 5. I originally wrote a conversation where Eret speak of her, but it would have made the chapter too long. The scene between her and Astrid was among the first ones I wrote, in my head she was somehow Mrs Pott from Beauty and the Beast, except they have very different looks.**

 **Guest who said Cami wouldn't beat Astrid in a fair fight: You can't say that for sure, we never saw them spare. In my opinion they are at the same level, Astrid lost for reasons which will be explained later, but I'm not picturing her as weaker. Also, Astrid can't run away, the marriage contract has to be made to ensure peace and that's why she still wants to honor it, otherwise Fury will choose another girl, something she wanted to avoid in the first place. Now it doesn't mean indeed that she has to be happy about it and she would be absolutely in her right to demand a divorce. Now things will work between, there will be Hiccstrid, but it won't be because Astrid will be like 'oh I got beaten, now I'll be all nice'. I don't write that answer because I'm angry or anything, in fact I'm glad to see that some people understand Astrid's feelings, I just wanted to bring some precisions.**

 **Don't hesitate to review!**


	9. Encounters

**Chapter 9**

 **Encounters**

 **Hi everyone! I don't know whether or not I answered everyone, I forget sometimes, but thanks for the reviews! I hope you'll enjoy it!**

Early this morning, Camicazi was looking for Heather, she wanted to speak with her. Yesterday, she had been furious to see her and Hiccup so angry at her, and all that because of this girl! But once she had reduced a straw man into a pile of dirt to overpass her anger, she had to admit she felt bad. She thought of her friend's words and she imagined herself in that situation. Hiccup said she would do worse...She wouldn't be a dear for sure. Screw that, she would have bitten some heads off.

She had imagined herself being the one taken away, being promised to some man she didn't know, and her reaction if two women came and acted as she and Hillevi did. Once again, Hillevi's words sounded incredibly offensive, but she never contested that. And her own words...All she meant was to show her she didn't have the right to insult her tribe and chief...But it only worsened things up. Now that she thought about it, her mother would have been ashamed of her: defending a man against a woman who had to go through an arranged marriage...If someone had spoken to her the way she spoke to Astrid...

She saw Heather taking care of Windshear in her garden, the dragon's scales were starting to shine under the morning sun. Camicazi came to them and Heather frowned when she saw her.

"Okay," Cami said to her before she could speak, "you're right: I went a little too far. And yeah, I wouldn't react well if I was in her stead. That doesn't mean I'll approve everything she does or say."

Heather rolled her eyes, but she knew that coming from Camicazi, it meant a lot. She continued to take care of Windshear while replying:

"I don't ask you that, no one does. I don't know if she'll be a good chieffess or not, but I have no reason to doubt it either. And it's fine if you want her to make her proofs or if you want to challenge her into a fight, but no need to treat her as if she was inferior or anything. And you'll have to admit she defend herself well."

"Yes, but she still has to beat me. But yeah, I was wrong, I'll think before acting."

Heather rolled her eyes again, but she wasn't really angry anymore. Cami smiled to her, she was glad to have her friend back.

"Well, I'll go to see Hiccup."

"Maybe you should wait, he is out with Astrid and I guess he won't want to be bothered."

"Especially by me. Well, let's take a flight, I don't think my Hamera will leave me in peace for long if I don't fly with her."

Hamera was Camicazi's Monstrous Nightmare, a young female who had a strong attitude, and one of the few creature on this island who could make Camicazi yield to her wishes. Just as her rider predicted, the dragon flew toward them and cooed at the Bog-Burglar efore showing her back. Hamera could fly alone, but she didn't want to; Heather finished quickly with Windshear and the two girls were soon in the sky.

 **O o O**

When Astrid understood that Fury wanted to give her a dragon, her first thought was to leave: there was no way she would accept that! His own dragon wasn't at his side anymore, he was playing with another Night Fury who just landed there. He spoke when she was about to turn around.

"I don't want to 'give' you a dragon, not exactly. I want you to meet them, and maybe a dragon will choose you. Those living in the arena have no riders yet. You don't have to give me an answer right away, I'll just introduce you to them today. They won't attack."

"I know I'm gonna live here, but I won't ride a dragon just to act like other people on this island. That wouldn't feel right."

"I don't do that for you to conform, just...You might feel more at home, and if you try it, you could like it. And you would have a loyal friend, dragons are loyal."

"Loyal? Are you kidding?"

"Certainly not. No one on this island could try to hurt you without having your dragon defending you to death."

"Not even you?"

"Not even me, dragons don't care about laws or social rank. I know you can defend yourself, but it doesn't mean you should do it alone."

At those words, her eyes narrowed, she wasn't sure of his intention but his words made her hesitate. Her stubbornness was making the simple idea hideous: her family would have been ashamed of her. Yet her family wasn't here, she would soon be alone. She had to admit that she was very curious to know more about it, discovering how a human could tame a dragon was big. Also, her strategic side approved the idea: with no dragon, she was disadvantaged here. Plus, he only wanted to introduce her to them, apparently…If that was all, she could do it, at least to learn more about the tribe's habit. Astrid looked around to see one or two Gronkles, some Nadders and Monstrous Nightmares and also a Scauldron.

"I don't know…You say the dragon has to choose me."

"It's your choice as much as theirs. You're the one who will choose which ones you'll approach, and then, among those dragons, one might decide to give you a chance. But even deciding which one you'll go to isn't easy to begin with. You can't choose one just because they look powerful or exotic, you have to find the one who suits you."

"And how do I do that?"

"Well, considering you're not a big weight we don't have to worry much about the dragon's size, it's at least that...You seem to be one for quick action, so maybe not a Gronkle...Monstrous Nightmares can be tough to train, it's not the best for beginners, or you would need extra patience, and no offense but I don't think you do."

She rolled her eyes and would have told him not to judge her, but he was actually right here: she had never been known for her patience.

"What about the Scauldron?"

"Hum...No. This one has a bad temper. I think a Nadder would suits you well. They are swift, social and gentle when it comes to the people they live with, but still very tough during the fight. Come."

He took her wrist, she got free of his touch, but still followed him until she realized he was leading her toward the dragons.

"Wait, like this? You don't...I don't know, chain them or something?"

"No, it's fine. You're with me and they are used to people. I wouldn't chain them, it would break all the trust they have toward me."

Astrid accepted to follow him because she couldn't let him think she was scared, but eventually stopped while Fury approached the dragons with no fear. Even if she had forbidden herself to like this man she couldn't help but be impressed by the way he confidently walked among animals who could have torn him apart. There were three Nadders, they greeted him by gently nuzzling their snouts against him and he petted them in return.

"Hi, I have to introduce you to someone."

He went to her and gently took her hand. For once, she didn't struggle against his touch, he raised her hand in the air, his palm on the back of her hand. She had to admit for the first time that his proximity was quite welcome.

"What are we doing now?"

"Stay like this and wait, one of them will come. They are all used to humans."

She stayed like this, a part of her was telling her to leave, but Astrid Hofferson wasn't one to show fear. She said she would do it after all. At first none of them came.

"I feel stupid, with my hand like that."

"To them, you simply seem inviting. Speak to them, but gently."

She looked at the three dragons who were watching her without coming toward her.

"Hey, guys..." She said hesitantly. "Hum... I'm a friend, I'm not here to fight...I guess I wouldn't be raising my hand in the air like this otherwise."

Oh gosh, she sounded like Fishlegs when he was trying to flirt with a girl! Hiccup smiled at her, she was obviously nervous, but she would do good, he was sure of it. One of the Nadders looked at her but returned to her fishes. Another one approached, sniffed her and seemed more interested than the first one. Her heart was beating faster, she didn't know how to handle those beasts outside of battle.

"What is it doing?"

" _She_ , that one is a female. And she is simply getting to know you."

Astrid was even more nervous, why did she accept this?! The beast's fangs were visible, she didn't like it, she imagined the dragon suddenly closing her jaw on her...

Scales were gently applied against her skin and Astrid's thoughts were stopped immediately. The dragon was gently rubbing her snout against her hand and the Viking couldn't do anything but stand and gape. The Nadder broke the contact but continued to look at Astrid. Fury put the girl's hand on the dragon's neck and told her to scratch the Nadder here. The reaction was immediate and startled Astrid: the dragon just went lax and let herself fall on the ground, looking perfectly content. Astrid retreated her hand slowly.

"Are you okay?" Asked Fury

"Yes...I never thought I would ever do that," she whispered.

There were no trace of anger or sadness in her voice, only amazement. He couldn't help but admire how beautiful she looked, and he loved the amazement in her eyes. He was eager to teach her everything possible about dragons, and show her all the fantastic world they could open to human.

"Dragons are amazing creatures, they aren't monsters as everyone think. If you allow them, they can prove it. They have feelings like us. And this one seems to like you."

But they were monsters, that what they had taught her all her life. She wanted to protest, but she looked at the Nadder and it stopped the words. The beast seemed innocent, without a trace of evilness in her. Oh, sure she had fangs, claw, muscles, spikes and fire...But her eyes were something entirely different. She turned toward Fury.

"Now, what do I do? This doesn't mean I'm accepting."

"Well, take some time to think about it. If you accept, you'll have to tame her, and make her accept you, we don't break them like most people break horses to ride them. Dragons who don't want riders are free to live without one. You'll come here daily, give her food, take care of her wounds, spend time to see what she likes and what she doesn't like. You'll start training her a little, to come at the sound of your voice and recognize some commands. Yet the true training will start when she'll let you mount on her back. But remember, you'll never be her master, there is no master here."

"Not even you?"

"No, I'm the chief because they choose me. You'll be her rider because she'll choose you…" He stopped and went on: "I know this is difficult to accept. But give it all a chance, please, you'll discover things you never thought possible. You have time to think about it."

She looked once more at the Nadder who was eating peacefully. She had always been adventurous, she always liked to try new things. This island was definitely the right place for that, she had to admit it, but still...There were so many things which went against everything she had been taught since she was little…

"I'll think about it," she sighed. "I have to leave now."

He nodded and watched as she walked away. Hiccup was more than thankful toward the gods that his idea had worked. Sure, Astrid was still unsure, but it was normal. Toothless came back at his side, Hiccup took off his mask and spoke to him in a low voice.

"I can understand how she is feeling, like she was robbed of her life and home…That's how I felt because of Spitelout after I had to run away because of him. I was so angry and scared, but at least I had you."

As if he could understand, the dragon rubbed his head against his chest and cooed gently. Hiccup petted him and had some licks on the face in return. The young man smiled and continued to stroke him while talking:

"Astrid doesn't even have that. Oh sure, she has Fishlegs, but he'll leave at a point. Sure, there are Eret and Heather, but she knows they are my close friends and they serve the tribe, so it's not the same. She doesn't have the comfort of a friend who won't care about men's laws and just defend her against any threat. She is in the middle of a foreign tribe who is living with beasts whom she had learned to fear and fight, and she doesn't even know the real face of the man she is about to marry. Plus, some people here had to make her suffer even more. She feels vulnerable and it's unbearable to her. Believe me, it is, I'm pretty sure that part of her personality didn't change."

He felt hopeful after this morning, maybe he would be able to earn her love. The dragon nudged him again and Hiccup knew he wanted to fly. He could have a flight before returning to work.

 **O o O**

Astrid went to the marketplace, and she looked at everything around. They had a large variety of food, there were some dishes she never even saw. There were also clothes, jewelries, and weapons; coarse or fine, exotic or traditional, it was worth a look. She noticed once more that some people didn't speak Norse. Some dragons were sitting or sleeping near the stands, watching that no one stole anything. There were much more things than on Berk's market. She asked a merchant where the well of women was. She found it easily and saw Kalisha along with a small group of women. A bunch of dragons were either sleeping or playing near them. Kalisha jumped on her feet and went to her.

"I feared you wouldn't come!"

"Fury wanted to show me something, I would have come earlier otherwise."

"It's okay. Girls, this is Astrid!"

"We know who she is," said a tall and sturdy red-head who walked toward Astrid. "I'm Belda."

"Astrid Hofferson, even if you know it already."

The two shook hands, Belda had a strong held. She was also introduced to Cryda, Vami and Wollmi who were sisters and Llewellyn who didn't speak Norse very well because she came from a country south. Astrid sat on the well between Belda and Kalisha; while the maid was sewing something along with Cryda, Belda was polishing her sword, the one named Wollmi was taking care of a bow and arrows while Vami and Llewellyn were simply sorting out flowers and herbs they picked up that morning before going to the well. Astrid sharpened her axe, she looked at the dragons, they paid no attention to her, so she decided to do the same.

"It's weird Heather isn't here," Kalisha commented, "she usually come quite early."

"She probably has something important to do," Belda said before turning to Astrid: "You might have seen me already, I was here when Hillevi and Camicazi challenged you. If we can call it like that. You were quite impressive, the way you fought and talk."

"Oh, not enough to beat that freaking Bog-Burglar."

"We are trained to be the toughest, and Cami has always been one of the strongest among us," Belda said with a giggle and Astrid blushed.

"Sorry, I didn't know you were one..."

"Don't worry, I know they didn't give you a good opinion of us, but you'll see, Bog-Burglars can be good friends too."

"I did meet some in the past actually, Gildy and Rosta. We did get along well, even if we never had the occasion to see each other once more."

"Rosta? A thin and tall girl with red-hair and a long nose?"

"Yeah...yeah I think it was that."

"That's my cousin! When did you meet her?"

Astrid explained that they went on a quest to get gold back from pirates, and they had been joined by those Bog-Burglars who also pursued the thieves for the same reason. The story soon held the attention of the other girls. Suddenly, a green Terrible Terror landed on Kalisha's laps, making Astrid jump in surprise.

"She is gonna mess our work," Cryda protested.

"Oh come on! Astrid, Leafy; Leafy, Astrid." The beast looked at her but soon focused on the scratches Kalisha was giving. "She is still young, she loves to jump around."

"You all have dragons?" Astrid asked.

"Sure we do, I have the Razorwhip" Cryda said while pointing to a grey dragon who was playing with a red and green Nadder.

"To me, Nadders are the best," Wollmi said with enthusiasm, "they are playful, but they are still very tough, they are graceful and swift...I have the one who is playing with Cryda's Razorwhip."

"Monstrous Nightmares are...Best?" Llewellyn tried

"Better, they are better," Kalisha corrected. "Even if I love my Leafy, I must admit I have a little something for Belda's scauldron."

"It's normal, he is the best."

"I stand with Llewellyn," Vami added, "Monstrous Nightmares forever! Even though I would have loved a Skrill."

"Is it forbidden to have one?"

"No, it's because they never let anyone ride them, they are difficult to tame. There only three here, they fight with us, they defend the island, and they even let some people pet them. But if you try to ride them, they suddenly become wild again!"

It reminded Astrid of what Fury told her: no dragon was forced to have a rider. Belda put her axe down and she started to sharpen some arrows with the help of Wollmi. She learned the latter was working along with her husband as an armorer while Vami and Llewellyn were making soap, and scented oils.

"We have our own little fields for plants, but we needed more this morning. Chief Mala is soon going to visit for the autumn feast with people of her tribe, it's always good for trading, we have to make more than usual."

"Chief Mala?"

"An ally chief who also respect dragons very much, except they don't ride them," Belda explained. "She often visits during feasts."

"I heard they are going to have meat for everybody this year!" Wollmi said excitedly.

"Oh, that reminds me something!" Kalisha exclaimed, "I don't know if anyone told you about meat and fishes, Astrid?"

"Hum, no."

"You had meat to ease transition for you, but people on this island don't eat much meat or fish. We keep most of what we have for the dragons. We do eat some occasionally, or during winter when the harvest isn't good or during big events, but we avoid it as much as possible. You have to get used to that."

"Really?! It's sad, I liked the meal you cooked with meat and honey. You must have good harvests to allow yourself that," Astrid pointed out

"Oh, we do. Surprisingly, dragons had made that island very fertile," Cryda explained, "and I must say the lack of meat doesn't bother me much. Kalisha, be careful, your stitches are too large!"

"Sorry."

"It's not me who'll be the sorriest if your wedding dress is failed."

It was a red and dark blue dress, with some silver embroidery on the cleavage and the border of the sleeves. It was beautiful, Astrid had to admit it, even if she would usually prefer practical clothes, she didn't hate nice-looking dresses and wearing some on particular occasions wasn't bad.

"It's really beautiful," Astrid congratulated her genuinely.

"Thank you, I must say I'm glad Cryda is here to help, because I'm not so good at sewing."

"Yours will be more magnificent," Vami pointed out to Astrid, "Cryda will have to do her best."

The reminder of her wedding made her stomach churl, but she didn't say anything.

"And you have to tell me when you'll marry, and come to my workshop so I can start your dress" the seamstress declared. "It's the first time I'll design a dress for a chieffess's wedding."

"We didn't decide of a date yet. Wollmi, if you have time, could you check out my axe?"

She wasn't sure her weapon needed it that much, but she wanted to change the subject. The young armorer accepted of course, and they continued to talk for a while until Astrid decided to leave to meet Fishlegs. Belda went with her, saying she would need to train as well. While walking toward the arena, Astrid thought of another question for Belda:

"Tell me, how is it Bog-Burglars joined Fury? I would have thought you wouldn't want a man as your chief."

"We aren't supposed to obey men indeed, but this one isn't really like most men. I was freed by him, like many others, and I was given the choice to join them or go back to my tribe. The choice wasn't easy. In the end, it's their ideas which made me want to go to them. And I must say it was really awesome to see them ride dragons!" She sighed and went on: "Some among my family were really angry at me. But now that I chose him, I won't just leave like that." She smiled to her. "I imagine it was hard for you to leave your tribe, I did by choice and it wasn't easy, so you...Well, I can only guess."

"They shouldn't be angry at you, you have the right to make your own choices." She paused and spoke again: "I'm gonna miss my sister's birthday…She is going to be thirteen."

She didn't know why she was saying that, she hardly knew her, but she couldn't help it, she was worried for her sister. She had been anxious when she left, but after Hillevi and Camicazi attacked her, this worry intensified. She didn't know why, after all, it had nothing to do with her sister, but she still couldn't help but imagine that Alina would be hurt by someone too. Suddenly she couldn't help but think that she could travel easily to her if she had a dragon. After all, she knew that Fury travelled only a few days between Berk and Endris. Those thoughts were interrupted by Belda:

"Is she alone?"

"No, she has my mother, and some of my friends promised me to watch over her. But it's not the same as being here myself."

"Of course. You'll probably visit her once the situation will be more stable."

Astrid smiled at that, it was true, being here didn't mean she would never see any of her loved ones again.

"Anyway, I'm glad I have someone to spare with. If Heather didn't come to the well, I'm not sure she'll be here to spare either. I have trainees this afternoon, but it's not the same, they are teenagers, and I have to train them to go on expeditions. But maybe she'll eventually join us. Fury hasn't come to the training ground lately."

"Why?"

"Oh he probably have other things to do, apparently Drago is doing some mess again," Belda explained.

"Who is that Drago?" Astrid asked.

"Drago Bludvist, no one told you about him?"

Astrid gaped slightly at this: she had heard of him indeed, he had trapped and killed chiefs in the past. Stoick had been the only to escape, she knew that, and no one had heard of that madman since then. Apparently, he had used dragons in armor.

"We believed he was dead."

"If only! Ask more to Fury or Heather if you want, I'm not sure what I can tell you or not."

She nodded, Belda was certainly in no position to reveal important stuff. Now she was really curious and quite anxious too. Fury and his dragons were scary, but obviously Endris wanted peace. What would a man like Bludvist want?

They found Fishlegs talking with Heather and Astrid introduced him to Belda. Heather knew her already, she had always appreciated the young woman even though they weren't very close. They spared together until the trainees came. The red-head turned to them, about twenty of them had been gathered to attack and pirates and Outcasts.

"Ah, here you are! Come here, let me see what we have there!"

They all lined, they were young and it was obvious they didn't know what it meant to go on an expedition. Belda started:

"The two first things we'll take care of are those: your fighting skills and your flight skills. After that we'll focus on team work and strategy, but for now, we have to get to know your level with a weapon. Choose a partner and spare."

While they started to fight, Astrid spotted a smaller and thinner teen struggling to fight with an axe against a bigger one. The big one was clearly taking advantage of it and the thinner one soon ended on the ground.

"Get up, you whimp!"

He kicked the boy's side twice, at this second she saw Snotlout and Hiccup, and she was on him before he could do it again.

"What are you doing?"

"Well…I'm toughening him up."

"If you want to toughen someone up, you have to be sure you're that tough yourself. Come on, let's see what you're worth with someone bigger than you: try to toughen me up."

The boy didn't seem eager to do that. He tried to attack her on the side but she parried, punched him in the face and disarmed him easily. His face was red with embarrassment and Astrid sighed:

"You need to toughen up as well it seems. There is no glory beating someone smaller and on the ground, only low-level warriors tries to look better this way."

The boy just nodded, and they heard Belda spoke up:

"Exactly, if it's easy for you to beat your adversary, either you help them to get better, either you find someone at your level. Don't confound sparing and fighting, you will fight together, you're allies and you should never forget it."

Astrid turned to the two boys, the smaller one wasn't even holding his axe properly.

"Who trained you?"

"I…I was a slave in the fields, I wasn't taught to fight before I came here, it wasn't long ago."

"You shouldn't have volunteered then. But well, training with us will still be good for you."

He nodded and she started to teach him, and the other boy stayed, sparing with him and listening to Astrid. His level wasn't that good either. Astrid surprised herself being worried for their expedition. She felt a hand on her shoulder and saw Belda.

"Will you stay with me to train them? It would be good to have help and Heather can't stay for long."

She was astonished, but she accepted:

"Yeah. Fishlegs can help too, if he is willing to do so."

The boy nodded, though he seemed to feel uneasy teaching others how to fight, he had never been the best.

"Okay, though I'll be of more help with the strategy."

"Come on, help us."

It wasn't usual to ask a stranger to train the newbies, Belda wouldn't do that in other circumstances, but that girl was their future chieffess and her cousin had met her and Fishlegs. In her letter, Rosta had written that those hooligans had been loyal allies and therefore she was ready to give them a chance and trust them a little. Anyway she was here to watch over.

 **Don't hesitate to review!**


	10. Rescue

**Chapter 10**

 **Rescue**

 **Hi! Okay, WARNING for that chapter, some sensitive subjects are mentioned and there is also violence in it. Not very gory, but still.**

 **Funny thing, that chapter was supposed to be two separate parts, but I decided to shorten both and make only one, otherwise it would have been too slow, even for me.**

 **So, enjoy!**

During the class, Astrid told them to pay attention to their breathing, as it was key to stamina. She showed them how to handle or even held their weapons properly, focusing first on those who had less experience. At the end, they spotted who had the best level and who needed to make more progresses. After Heather departed to meet with the chief, Belda decided they would evaluate their skills with dragons. Astrid and Fishlegs couldn't help with that of course, but they watched and she couldn't help but think of the Nadder. Both Hooligans were quite impressed, it was something to see those teens flying above them. Belda wasn't that satisfied however:

"All of them can stay on their backs, but some of them still needs to learn a lot. They lack balance and they don't do such a good job at directing their dragons."

"Really? I thought they all were doing really fine," Fishlegs affirmed.

"That's because you never were initiated to that, but if you knew more about dragon riding, you would see it."

"Most of them won't be ready for an expedition" Astrid stated.

"Not all of them, some won't be able to go for this quest. But there will be other quests in the future and if we start to train them now, they should be ready. Others are doing good, and if Fury accepts to send some experienced warriors with them, it should be alright. Will you two continue to help me?"

They both accepted, although Fishlegs would have less time than Astrid, since he had some chores to do in order to help the sailors with whom he was living. When the training ended, they left Belda and Astrid promised to go back to the well to meet her and her friends. Before the evening came, she took Fishlegs to the marketplace which he hadn't seen yet. The boy was just looking at everything with fascination and Astrid told him about the Nadder and about the women she met.

"It would definitely be a discovery to tame a dragon."

"Vikings aren't supposed to fly or ride on dragons."

"Yeah, but look at them, it still works for those people. Why couldn't we try?"

It made sense, but it would be like admitting defeat somehow, she was the insurgent, she was one who would constantly rebel against her chief, she wouldn't just nicely do what those people expected, would she? She couldn't accept being dragged in this life like this. Yet she was starting to get friends and even help teens of the island. But that was different, that was the kind of things that could happen in any Viking tribe. As they were talking, she saw Fury advancing toward them. Fishlegs tensed suddenly, he hadn't met Fury yet after all. Astrid didn't know if he was intimidated by the masked man or because of the Night Furies with him. This time there wasn't only Toothless but another adult and three younger black dragons.

"Astrid, Fishlegs..."

"How do you know my name?" Asked her friend, freaked out.

"Well, I was told by my men and Astrid also spoke of you."

"Oh." Fishlegs blushed hard.

"I'll eat with my people tonight. You're free to stay in the house or join me, and so do you, Fishlegs. We won't eat right now, but we're already gathering."

It was traditional for Vikings, they would often gather in the Great Hall to spend some time together once their work was over. It would be good to go, and maybe she would see the women of the well as well as Heather.

"I'll come."

He seemed surprised at this, he offered her his arm to walk with him but she didn't take it. Fishlegs accepted as well, yet he was fidgeting and anxiously looking at the dragons following the masked chief.

"Hum...So you, hum...Those are Night Furies, right?"

"Yes it is. This is Toothless, Lady and their cubs."

"Lady? You didn't really get creative here," Astrid huffed.

"I named her like that because of her manners, not because of her gender. If you observe her a little or praise her, you'll see. Isn't it my pretty Lady?"

The she-dragon slowly closed her eyes and proudly walked, Fishlegs giggled at this, and even Astrid couldn't help but smile. Then she stopped herself. She wasn't supposed to feel anything positive toward them, even tomorrow had been a mistake, she should know that!

"They are kind with you, but you can't just ignore everything they did to humans, all the people they killed!"

"She is right…"

Fury stopped and looked at them with a determined look.

"Come with me."

He took another path, they both followed him, confused but quite curious. He led them toward a building at the outskirts of the village, a healer's hut and Toothless rubbed his head against his rider's arm several times. When they approached the building, Lady stayed behind as well as her cubs, as if it felt wrong for her to go in that place. Fury opened the door and the Hooligans froze when they saw the inside. Before a big fire, men, women and children were gathered, they all had bandages and scars, but what truly shocked them were their countenance. They all looked scared, broken, they hardly dared to look at the newcomers and no sign of joy could be seen, even from the children. This wasn't just a healer's hut, there was something else about it. A woman and a man were tending to the fire, healers obviously. The man went to Fury.

"Chief, is everything alright?"

"Fine, I want to speak to some of the newcomers."

The healer bowed his head and returned to his work. The chief turned to Astrid and Fishlegs:

"Those people were slaves, before we freed them. It happens that some are treated more carefully, but most of them gets broken like that. Our biggest enemies are especially fond of those methods. Some of them healed faster and are already starting a new life, but them..."

Both Astrid and Fishlegs knew of slavery, but they weren't that familiar with it since Berk didn't have slaves. They knew that those people often had miserable lives, but they had never truly faced it. Astrid's eyes fell on a little boy who looked sad and worried. She smiled to him, and he immediately cowered in a corner. Fury put his hand on her shoulder.

"Don't be surprised. Some of those children were used for…Some things especially difficult."

"What do you mean?"

"Well…Some adults have…Wants that they shouldn't have."

It made her stomach roll and she felt nauseous. Fury went to an old woman among the people and kneeled to her to be at level. She was sitting by the fire along with others and she was the only one who looked a little lively. Some slaves did back away and others stayed where they were, looking at him.

"Your name is Lila if I remember well?"

"It is indeed, my tann."

"Do you still consider working with the healers?"

"I do. I don't know much outside healing, and I don't have energy for the fields anymore."

"We do need more healers. You have grandchildren, do you?"

"Indeed, a boy and a girl."

"I'll see with some builders that they make a house for the three of you."

"Oh! That would be…Thank you. Thank you very much," she babbled, her cheek pink from emotion.

He smiled to her and spoke to other slaves like that, some who were younger and stronger proposed their services as builders, soldiers or as farmers. One of them proposed his services as a bee-keeper and Fury seemed especially interested by that. While it did raise some enthusiasm and life in the room, it felt still heavy to be in here. Astrid couldn't help but look at the children and think that some of them had been…She heard moves behind her and saw Toothless getting in, and she was expecting the former slaves to be scared, but no. In fact, the child who had been afraid of her allowed the dragon to approach him, the beast rubbed his snout gently against his cheek and the boy petted him shyly. A little girl joined him as well as other kids. They were either petting or watching the dragon. She heard whispers and noticed some slaves were looking at the dragon with some sort of fascination. Fishlegs looked pretty confused and upset. Eventually, Fury left the people and called Toothless back.

"I'm sorry children, we have to leave, but you'll see him around."

The kids didn't dare to protest, but they waved to the black dragon. Once out, and some steps away, he turned to the Hooligans.

"I can't deny dragons have hurt humans, but it's not dragons who put those people in such a state. Dragons might kill humans or maim them, but they'll never have the cruelty of men. The worst threat to mankind is mankind itself. That's why we aren't afraid of them."

Both Astrid and Fishlegs wished to say something, defend the values they had always been taught, but what they just faced had sewn their mouth shut. Fury went on:

"Most of them were slaves or very poor people going through tyranny. Some of them never had a house for themselves. The ones you saw were saved a little after Spitelout's attack. At first, I wanted to retaliate on Berk immediately, but this rescue party was already planned, and I knew it would take time for your boats to come back anyway. When those people understand that dragons save them as much as us, they aren't afraid of them anymore."

"Is that why the children seemed…Fond of your dragon?"

Fury nodded and looked at Toothless with a smile: "When we went to free some children, one of their captors drew out his axe, he said he would rather kill their 'merchandise' than let us go away with those. Toothless killed him immediately, and the boy you saw was the one who would have been killed first. If you don't believe me, you can ask Eret or Heather. There is something else I have to show you."

This time he brought them to a stable. In there, they saw dragons, the two Hooligans were ready to draw out their weapons to protect themselves, but it was soon clear that they wouldn't need it. The beasts backed away against the walls, growling but obviously way too scared to try anything. They had many scars on them, one of them, a Nadder, had lost an eye and Astrid couldn't help but think of the one she had bonded with. Fury approached a Gronkle and murmured soft words. The beast growled and roared; for a moment, both Fishlegs and Astrid were expecting the beast to attack him, but instead the dragon just started to whimper frightfully. Fury continued to walk toward him and took some rocks in a bucket which was close.

"Here, for you."

The beast sniffed the rocks, still keeping some careful distances, Fury threw those at him and the dragon swallowed those immediately. Though he didn't let the man pet him, he stopped growling.

"Usually, it takes less time to earn some trust, but those had been severely mistreated. This Gronkle is quite young, she probably never knew any kind human. It will be alright, girl."

The beast still wouldn't approach the masked man, and Astrid looked at Fishlegs who seemed on the verge of tears. He was sensitive, she often reproached him that but this time she couldn't blame him since she was starting to feel a knot in the throat. They heard footsteps and saw Heather coming in; she gave them a tiny grin.

"Hey, I was looking for you. You're gonna be late for dinner."

"Oh, I completely forgot!"

They followed her outside; a cold wind was blowing, Fury explained Heather they visited the former slaves and she looked at Fishlegs. She could notice how upset he was (it would have been hard to miss it) and she had to admit it surprised her. Men would usually try to show only outrage or anger in that kind of situation, and hide any other kind of feeling. Here, however, that young man wasn't trying to act tough, he showed his sensitivity, and she had to admit it wasn't that usual. It was pleasing in fact. They both were walking behind Astrid and Fury, she slowed down to give herself and Fishlegs some space and murmured:

"It's a gruesome sight, I know."

"It's…I saw slaves before, but we never actually…Interacted with them that much, we never had the occasion."

"You didn't know they were mistreated like that?"

She wasn't that surprised, Hiccup had been also stunned when they had met, he wasn't really aware of the horror of slavery back then. It was normal, she guessed, Hooligans didn't use slaves, and neither did their closest neighbors.

"I…I knew their lives were probably not easy but…Seeing them is something else entirely different. And the dragons…They looked like those humans."

"They feel pain too, and they are affected by it as well."

"How…How were the ones you took from Berk?"

"Not as bad as those, but still in a bad state."

Fishlegs lowered his head, feeling suddenly a shame he never thought he would face. He had hurt those animals…But they were ferocious beasts!

"They were always so aggressive in an arena."

"Every prisoner gets aggressive, humans or animals. You couldn't expect them to be kind after being taken and locked. I know many tribes had good reasons to fear dragons, but they also ignore a lot of things about them. You'll know more with time."

He didn't know what to answer, that was true after all, he could have told her that dragons were attacking humans, but this city was full of those creatures and none were aggressive. When they were in the Great Hall, a lot of people looked at the Hooligans, at Astrid in particular. She looked around, instead of dragons' skulls, mural painting and sculptures of those were adorning the room. Berk also represented dragons in the Great Hall, but as threatening creatures defeated by heroes. Here, the dragons and their riders _were_ the heroes and though the dragon-killer in her felt offended, Astrid couldn't help but admit that those paintings were epic and beautiful. All the dragons looked nobles and strong, instead of vicious. A lot of species were represented, but the Night Fury was the most honored. A statue of a dark iron was suspended above the central fireplace, the beast looked mysterious and majestic.

Real dragons were in the room as well, Gronkles and Terrible Terrors, a Skrill and some Night Furies as well. The Furies all responded when Toothless roared at them and went to him and his female. He and Lady were obviously the leaders the leader among them, since they were the first ones to eat when their food was brought to them. Fury brought them to his table where Heather was sitting already, and Fishlegs blushed when she invited him to sit at her side. Astrid sat between her and Fury, she saw from afar Wollmi, Vami and Llewelyn who smiled to her, and she smiled back. Belda wasn't here; Cryda entered, accompanied by Eret and Kalisha, the three of them were speaking and the seamstress only parted when Eret advanced toward the table with the maid. They both looked happy, and Astrid couldn't help but remember that the girl had also been a slave in the past. She had told she had been only a domestic slave, but had she been like those she saw as well?

Kalisha was introduced to Fishlegs before the dinner started. The meal was composed of bread, cheese, eggs and vegetables, but no meat or fish. Though she was still upset after what she saw, she made an effort, she needed to eat, it wouldn't be the first time she would have to overcome her troubled mind to swallow something. Fishlegs couldn't do that, he couldn't find the strength to get any food. He decided to ask questions instead, and turned to the chief:

"You're the only one to have a Night Fury, isn't it?"

"I am. They aren't easy to tame, and I was very lucky. The others gathered here thanks to Lady and Toothless."

"It's not only that," Heather protested, "you have a gift, we all know that."

"Come on!"

"And how do you make those armors? I mean it's probably not easy!"

"It demands a lot of work indeed," the chief simply answered.

"And how..."

"Maybe you could ask those questions once dinner is over," Heather suggested with a smile.

"Oh...Sure."

Heather smiled teasingly, making Fishlegs's cheeks redden and Astrid felt suddenly pretty sure that the boy would maybe wish to extend his stay on Endris. People laughed and joked, at their table, they listened to Eret's jokes and stories. Astrid was astonished to see sweet blackberry pie served after the dish. It tasted wonderful and she remembered Heather telling them Endris had a lot of honey. She wondered once more how they could do that, the island wasn't south from Berk, in fact she had felt no change in the climate. It was overall a good evening, but Astrid couldn't forget what she saw today. At home, she didn't go in her room immediately, Fury spoke to her:

"Heather told me you helped to train the newbies. She told me you defended a boy."

"Yeah. I don't like bullies. Are you against that?"

"You defending a young boy?"

"No, my participation to the training."

"No, not at all! On contrary, you're a good warrior. I was happy of it when I learned…I also wanted to tell you that, I'm sorry for showing you all of that so suddenly."

"Don't be. It's better for me to know…It's good what you do. I can't deny that. I can't deny that some people owes you and your dragons a lot."

"But?"

"No matter how good people here are, and even if I admit you did great things, it's still wrong to be forced to stay here. I want us to have another pact."

Most tribes considered that ending a marriage wasn't the same as cancelling it, therefore a pact was still valid even after the marriage which sealed it was ended by one of the spouses. Yet very important marriages like this one were very often (but not always) the exception to that, they could be considered as unbreakable or could be broken only under special circumstances. Berk had some (but not many) marriages considered unbreakable in the past, all made for peace. She had been pretty sure it would be the case for their marriage.

"Which one?"

"I know that this kind of marriage is often unbreakable since they are so important."

"Yeah."

"But I don't want ours to be. I don't know what you concluded with berk, and I don't care. I want you to promise that once we'll be married, if I'm not happy with you, you'll let me break the marriage and with no consequences for Berk. Promise that I can leave freely if I want."

"That's fine with me."

She was surprised, she was expecting him to accept, but she didn't think it would be so easy.

"I thought you would be harder to convince."

"Marriages can be broken here, just like in any Viking tribe, even arranged marriages. I thought you…I thought you knew that."

"Yes, but I important marriages are often unbreakable. I mean, Berk probably believes that…"

"It doesn't matter. I accepted this marriage for the peace, but I won the battle, it's up to me to decide whether or not this marriage is breakable or not. And you, since you're in it."

"If I never asked that, would you have told me?"

"I didn't think I would need to tell you…Thing is, no marriage here is considered unbreakable…It seemed maybe too obvious to me. I also thought someone would have told you."

"I wouldn't have been so angry if I had been told that I could leave without consequences for Berk! Didn't you think that it was strange that I was so furious?"

"Not really, I mean you still had to leave your family for a long period of time because of Spitelout, to go with strangers who go against everything you believe, and you did felt sold away. It's true that some big marriages are considered unbreakable, but not all the time. Maybe it had been done too quickly, since I had to leave shortly after they proposed the idea."

"You should have told me that. Why didn't you speak to me when we first met? Why didn't you tell me that back then?"

"…I was embarrassed. This was such a weird situation…"

"Yeah, but you should have talk to me; everything you told me, right now and even earlier, you should have told me on Berk. If you had spoken to me in private, if you had discussed with me about it all before I left…It would have been easier. I know this marriage is necessary for the peace, but what truly made me feel like a merchandise was your behavior. You just looked at me before leaving with no words, you didn't treat me like a person involved into this. Had you done that and told me the marriage could be broken, it would have been fine."

"I'm…I'm sorry, I didn't…That wasn't my intention at all. I was feeling so guilty, I hardly dared to speak to you and I thought you would have been mad anyway no matter what. And I was called back on Endris for an emergency, so I just went back…But, now that I think about it, I should have given Heather a message to give you, or something. I wasn't thinking I would get engaged after this. Neither did you, I know. I won't force you to remain with me forever, I swear that, and there won't be consequences for your tribe if you leave me. But we have to at least get married."

She didn't reply, it wasn't out of disdain or anger but because she was thinking. Heather had told her he had been called back indeed, she couldn't blame him for putting the well-being of his tribe first. Still, he could have indeed gave her a message or speak some words when they met. Yet she could forgive a mistake like this more easily than a purposeful lack of respect.

"How long do we have to stay married?"

"A year at least. It has to look believable. But if you want, we can only share the same house and keep separate rooms during that year. Now, if you do wish, we can also try to make things work. I mean, why not?"

"…If it's like that, I guess we can get along. Though I'm still angry to be here because of Spitelout."

"Well, it can be a way to humiliate him. I mean, he is the one who screwed up, and you're the one who repairs his mistakes, because he couldn't do that himself."

She smiled slightly, it wasn't untrue. The next two days went the same: she would met the women at the well, then train the teens with Belda and Fishlegs, then spend some times with them and Heather, or alone reading or drawing. She wouldn't spend much time with Fury, but he was always polite, and enquired whether she needed anything or not. Astrid was starting to like her new friends more and more, Kalisha and Belda especially. One afternoon, after the training, she decided to walk by herself maybe in the forest or at the border of the cliffs. She saw Kalisha walking toward the hills, the maid was alone carrying a basket, and Astrid considered going to her, when something got her attention. Three men were walking behind Kalisha, now it could have simply meant that they were taking the same way, but…They were keeping careful distance as if they didn't want the young woman to see them. Something wasn't right, she could feel it deep inside.

 **O o O**

It had been such a beautiful day that Kalisha had decided to take a walk in the hills, maybe she would also go through the woods. She would pick up mushrooms and maybe some flowers. She had been so absorbed by the autumn's colors she didn't notice the men behind her. The village was already out of sight when she heard footsteps and turned her head to see them, they were getting closer and closer. At first, she didn't bother much, they could have been simply hunters, but when they were at her level, she noticed they had no bows and she definitely knew something was wrong when one placed himself before her, standing right on her path while the others were standing beside her, blocking any escape. The three men were smirking darkly, and Kalisha stood proudly in spite of her fear.

"Hi there, where are you going like that?"

"I could ask you the same question."

"We are hunting a special prey…"

A shiver of fear went through. She had always managed to avoid that when she was a slave, it couldn't happen now! She didn't know how to fight, she could bite, claw, throw a punch or a kick at best, but it wouldn't be enough. There were some children from afar, the men certainly didn't see them, Kalisha would have like to yell at them to go and warn someone, but it could endanger them. The one before her had a big hammer, he took her chin.

"You know, I knew your dear bethroted way before you…I owe him and Fury a long-awaited revenge…"

"Wh…What revenge?"

He laughed darkly: "It won't matter anymore to you. But you'll definitely be the first part of it. I could almost thank you for giving me that." He looked at his friends. "You know, guys, I never got what was wrong with Eret: choosing a runt for a chief, and an ugly maid as a wife!"

"Come on, she is not that ugly. Maybe her biggest charms are hidden under her dress."

"There is only one way to know."

She tried to run away, but her hair was suddenly pulled, and she was thrown brutally to the ground. The right side of her face connected with the dirt. She remembered suddenly one time when she had been thrown to the ground and kicked when she was a slave. This would be even worse...She tried to get up but a kick in her belly did take the air out of her lungs and she gasped. Laughs were heard, and other kicks followed. She was forcefully rolled on her back and she slapped one of the men's face while kicking madly and screaming. A punch on her jaw followed with a kick on her thighs.

"Shut up, you pig!"

"She slapped me!"

"Hold her! I'll take care of her clothes."

The shorter one took out a knife while the two others held Kalisha down. That was it, she wasn't gonna escape...The short one was suddenly thrown onto the ground by a fourth frame. Yellow hair, red shirt, an axe and the scream of a fury: Astrid? Her foggy mind could hardly decipher what was happening.

The Hooligan threw her axe at the bigger man, and he just had the time to let go of Kalisha to leap away. The third one took hold of his hammer, but Astrid threw her elbow in his face, making his head snap back. She was about to strike him when the one with the axe threw himself at her, and their blade meet violently. Astrid deflected the blow without much difficulty, and threw herself aside when one with the hammer attacked. She parried their next blows quickly, was about to attack one, when she was suddenly grabbed by behind by the man with the knife who strongly held her arms.

"We'll get Fury's one too! Two instead of one! We rape her too?"

The hammer guy smirked, went to her but she kicked him violently in the crotch. She then threw her skull back, hitting and breaking the nose behind. He yelped, and his hold lessened. She freed one arm quickly, hit his throat with her elbow, making him choke and release her completely, when the big man with the axe was suddenly attacking her again. She parried his blows in time. The man with the knife was kneeling, struggling for breath, she kickly sent her feet in his face, before blocking another blow from the axe. She attacked, he blocked and tried to use his weight to push her but she spit in his eyes, stunning and disorienting him for a short moment. She took that occasion to disarm him, sent her axe at his throat but he swiftly leaped away. Then, a triumphal smirk appeared on his face, even though he still had no weapon.

"You're gonna regret that, we aren't alone!"

A roar was heard and Astrid looked behind her to see a Zippelback as well as a Nadder.

"Drago wanted to get you himself, but it doesn't matter. Eat her!"

Three heads with fangs lunged at her and she only had time to leap away from those and jump aside when those fired at her. She attacked the Zippelback, her axe ready to cut one of the heads but the second one attacked and she planted her axe right into its snout. The Nadder threw spikes at her and she had to roll away from those. She hardly had time to get back on her feet when the two dragons attacked her once more, the second head furious for the first one. The man with the hammer attacked as well and she could only back away. She couldn't handle so many adversaries, Kalisha and she would…

Suddenly, another deep roar was heard. A blue form plunged from the sky then a bigger one. Eret's dragon and another Nadder attacked the dragons violently.

"No! No, attack, retaliate!"

Astrid turned to the men, now that their dragons were out of the way, she could take care of their riders! The man with the hammer tried to attack Skullcrusher but was thrown away by a big paw. Astrid saw that the big one with the axe was at Kalisha again. She ran toward them in fear, seeing that he had his weapon raised. Suddenly, a small green form threw itself at its head to claw and bit his face. He yelled in pain and managed to push the Terrible Terror away only to have Astrid attacking as well.

He blocked the blow of her axe, but was partially blinded by the blood running on his face. The girl punched him in his already bloodied face, stunning him and she disarmed him in a second. Astrid made her axe swiftly turn and planted it right in his belly. The Terrible Terror started to lick Kalisha's face, she was now unconscious. Astrid looked back, the dragons were still fighting one another, and the last man, the one with the hammer, just threw himself away to avoid a wave of fire. Astrid lunged at him, but he had seen it coming. He parried her next blows and attacked her violently, putting all his weight to push her onto the ground. She lost balance and fell, his hammer was thrown at her and only a quick roll saved her. She hardly got time to get back on her feet.

Astrid parried the next blow, when her opponent's forehead connected violently with hers. She saw stars briefly, blood dripped from her forehead and a kick in her stomach followed, but she managed to remain on her feet. _Breath_ , she reminded herself, _don't lose your breath_. She just dodged the next blows, doing her best to regain balance and to breath properly. She felt her feet growing stronger again. Her opponent had a smirk, he thought the fight was won already…He lunged at Astrid, but the girl swiftly dodged once more, and retaliated with a swing of her axe. A deafening scream was heard and her opponent was on the ground, unmoving, blood oozing out of his shoulder. A kick in the face knocked him. She wouldn't end him, she had to know what it was all about.

Astrid looked behind her and saw that the two dragon who came to help her were devouring their adversaries. The man with the knife was still knocked out. Astrid gaped then: the remaining Nadder, who came along with Skullcrusher, was the Nadder from the arena! She wiped away some blood still streaming from her forehead and then went to Kalisha. She was still on the ground, all banged up, and she looked hardly conscious. The green Terrible Terror was on her chest, nudging her. Astrid recognized Leafy, Kalisha's dragon. She took the girl's hand and rubbed her temple.

"Hey, can you hear me?"

"I…Astrid…"

Heavy footsteps and calls were suddenly heard. She saw Belda coming toward them, and from afar Fishlegs and some other people. She whipped blood away from her forehead as Belda kneeled at their side:

"Are you alright? The kids told me Kalisha was being attacked."

"Yeah, those guys…There is one dead and I'm not sure about the others…"

The one with the knife was only knocked out, the one with the wounded shoulder would maybe survive, but they would have to be kick if they wanted to interrogate him. Astrid felt a heavy breath behind her, and she saw the Nadder. The beast nudged her gently.

"Thanks…"

"Thank Thor you came," Kalisha murmured weakly while Leafy was licking her wounds.

Astrid saw three men joining them, guards just like Belda, and also Fishlegs who was very pale. The guards immediately went to the other attackers and hoisted both the dead, the wounded and the unconscious on their shoulders. Fishlegs went to Astrid immediately:

"Are you alright?"

"I'll be fine, help Kalisha, I'm not sure she'll be able to walk."

"Sure! I was searching for you when I heard those children tell Belda there was a fight."

He gently carried the maid. Skullcrusher and the Nadder followed them. Astrid was the one who explained what happened, Kalisha was still regaining her spirits.

"You fought those three on your own?"

"Yeah, well, the dragons helped me when their own dragons attacked. And Leafy also gave some help with one."

"You couldn't beat Cami, but you could beat those three together?!"

She simply shrugged, those men weren't weaker than the Bog-Burglar, it was her who had been stronger against them, in fact, it wasn't the first time she defeated several adversaries. Winning every time was impossible, but it was true that this fight had been very different than the one against Camicazi. But right now she was too concerned about Kalisha to really think about it.

"We'll go to the Great Hall, Fury is in here, guys, take Kalisha to the closest healer," Belda ordered. "Do you need to go with them, Astrid?"

"I'll be fine."

"Wait, Belda...It wasn't really me they wanted to hurt," Kalisha murmured, "it was Eret and Fury. They wanted revenge."

Everyone was surprised, Astrid as well, she hadn't been there in time to hear that. Then she remembered the one who spoke about Drago…Drago Bludvist wanted to _get her himself_ , that's what he had said…

 **I made a mistake, I realize it now, it's that I didn't spoke about marriages being possibly unbreakable in that verse before. I'm really sorry for that mistake, I'm usually more careful, I did an edit to repair that, I know it's cheating a bit, but it's for the best. I'll try to be more careful with that kind of settings next time, promise! But I want to say that, of course, I never intended to keep Astrid and Hiccup prisoners of an arranged marriage.**

 **Don't hesitate to review!**


	11. Taking Decisions

**Chapter 11**

 **Hi! I know I didn't update much in a while but with Christmas and the New Year, my head was elsewhere ^^ Enjoy!**

Fury was in the Great Hall indeed, listening to some of his people. Heather was at his side and Astrid saw Vami and Llewelyn in the crowd. When he saw the newcomers, the chief jumped on his feet, alarmed by the state of the three men and the blood on Astrid's face. Heather also went at her, stunned by all of this.

"What happened to you?"

Instinctively, his hand gently wiped some blood oozing from her forehead, and she was startled at this: "Kalisha was attacked." That was all she could say.

"What?!"

Once he heard what happened, Hiccup got a bad feeling. If it was against Eret and himself, then it could hide something big. He ordered the guards to bring the one with a maimed shoulder to the healers and then to jail, and to keep him under their constant watch. Not that he had much pity, but he wanted to interrogate him. Meanwhile, Heather, Vami and Llewelyn took care of Astrid's wounds.

"Send someone to get Eret, he has to be warned that his wife is wounded," Fury demanded

He kicked the man on the floor to wake him up, and a growl was heard. The aggressor was stunned and then very afraid when he saw Fury standing before him and people all around. The chief looked at him threateningly:

"I'm not gonna lie: you're dying today. Now, you have the choice: speak and you get a clean death, or stay silent, and well…I can promise you I'll be crueler toward you than I was toward Alvin the Outcast. You must have heard of what happened to him?"

"Sp…Speak?"

"Yes, speak. Do I really need to explain you why you're here? You tried to rape Kalisha and tried to kill Astrid Hofferson, my betrothed. We know you didn't just attack her because you wanted to rape her. You would have surely done it surely, but it wasn't the only reason."

"No…You don't understand, it wasn't like that!"

"You prefer the painful death it seems."

"Let's torture him!" Someone yelled

"Let's give him to the dragons!"

"We should cut him in pieces first, slowly, while keeping him alive, I know how to do that!"

A wave of approvals followed those words and the man paled as he heard the people in here proposing several kinds of death, all painful and horrible. Fury was still looking at him intensely.

"He promised we would be rich! He promised that if we helped, Drago would make us rich, that's all, please, don't…"

"Drago? So that's him. Continue."

"It's Vern, he…He proposed us…"

"Vern?"

"The one you sent to be healed, chief. We rescued him from a slave's ship."

"It was one evening, we were at the tavern. He said that we had to help him to spread fear and confusion and that was all, that we would be rich. He wanted to hurt you and Eret especially, I don't know why. We first wanted to kill his fiancée, so he would start suspecting everyone, and then we would have done…Other things."

Of course, sending someone to murder people around and make everyone suspect everyone…He was pretty sure Viggo was the one who suggested that to Drago. But it was weird: why had Drago sent an attack and spies if he already had that Vern? This one was living among Endrisians, he could have given him information more easily in addition to spreading chaos. Maybe it was actually a way to disguise this man's presence? Maybe he simply wanted more spies because the task was too much for one man? He continued to interrogate him but he had obviously been nothing but a pawn, he didn't know much more. It was that Vern he would have to interrogate.

At his order, the man was dragged outside so his blood wouldn't soil the Great Hall furthermore. Astrid followed just like the others. The man was pushed on his knees under furious yells, and Fury took out his sword. His move was swift and deadly, Astrid couldn't help but shudder: she was reminded at that moment that Fury was a warrior in spite of his thin frame. Other yells of acclamation followed this, yet Fury didn't seem to pay attention. After the sentence was given, a lot of people congratulated her, asked her if she was okay, only to make her feel quite strange. A few days ago, most of those people were looking at her as if she was a strange animal. At the same time, Hiccup went to Heather and told her to go and inform the guards and their own spies that they would have to be more vigilant.

"Thing is, we allowed some merchants to come in the harbors, this is always a risk."

"We can't stop the trade, if we freeze the trade, we'll have problems, gold is essential during war."

She knew he was right, they couldn't reject every merchants, but she would have to be really careful though.

"I'll take care of that, you, take care of Astrid. She is tough, but that doesn't mean you shouldn't be there for her."

He nodded with a smile, and turned away to go toward his fiancée who was surrounded with people asking her questions and thanking her. Fury told them to leave her alone so he could bring her back home.

"Wait, could you take me to Kalisha, instead?" Asked she.

"You sure you'll be alright?"

"Of course, I got worse than that."

He was informed that Eret took Kalisha to his home. They were greeted warmly when the door was opened, Eret was pale and agitated and he immediately took Astrid's hands:

"Thank you for saving her, I don't know how I'll ever repay you, but thank you."

"Oh…Your dragon also helped a lot."

"Still, I owe you everything."

Kalisha wasn't the only person Astrid saved, yet as Eret praised her, she felt strange again. She found Kalisha in Eret's bed and in a better state than she expected. Though she was pale and had bad bruises on her face, she looked perfectly awake.

"Hey, you're feeling better?"

"Yeah...I'm not sure I thanked you earlier. Thank you, really."

"It's normal, I wasn't going to stand still while you were being attacked."

"It happened already, to me and some friends when we were slaves. We could be beaten, and people would do nothing, even if they didn't approve it. I was always doing my best not to get punished, but even the most careful person fails from time to time…" She sighed. "Those three never did anything to me before, and I never even spoke with them…I don't know, it feels like I wasn't supposed to be attacked. I kept wondering how I could have avoided that."

"They had a goal, they would have taken any occasion, there is nothing you could have done to avoid an attack."

She told her what they learned in the Great Hall, and that one of them still had to speak. The girl looked truly upset by all of this:

"He'll be dead soon too…When I think I was supposed to be only the first...Whatever, they won't do anything anymore." She took a deep breath. "Fury never condemned anyone so hastily I think, except for Alvin the Outcast, and from what I heard, Alvin killed his father."

"What?"

"Kalisha!"

They both looked at Fury who was standing near them, and Kalisha realized what she had done.

"Oh I'm sorry! I'm stupid, really stupid!"

"It's alright."

He kneeled at her side and took the maid's hands in a comforting manner.

"Astrid would have learned about it anyway, but there are things I wish to tell her myself."

"Of course, I babble way too much."

"It's fine, don't worry about that, I overreacted. I wanted to ask you, was it the first time it happened?"

She shook her head, explaining she had never been bothered by them before, and no one else tried to attack her either. She blinked, obviously tired, Eret came to her and gently stroke her head. After what she went through, he wouldn't give her reproaches. Astrid had planned to stay a bit with her, but she obviously needed to sleep.

"We should leave," she told Fury. "I'll come back when you'll feel better."

"Alright, take care of yourself as well."

Before they left, Eret took his chief by the arm, a darker expression on his traits.

"The last one, leave him to me. I want to make him talk myself and kill him myself."

His friend granted him that, and the two left the house. Eret went back to his bethroted, sat at her side and cupped her temple soothingly. Kalisha leaned in his touch, he wished to take her in his arms but he would probably only hurt her.

"I shouldn't have said that about his father."

"Don't beat yourself over it, he can't hide everything about himself from her forever. Sooner or later, she is gonna hear some stories, especially if she gets more and more friends."

"One day I wish we'll know who he really is. I can live without it, but sometimes not knowing is just...Well, you guess."

He nodded, he knew who Fury really was, but his fiancee didn't and even though he wished to tell her, that secret wasn't his to share as long as Fury didn't decide of it. Kalisha wouldn't mind much not being told anyway. Once at home, Fishlegs was here, waiting to check up on Astrid. She assured him she was perfectly fine, and promised she would find him again tomorrow as usual. Once inside, she sat at the fireplace, it was nice to stay close to the warm fire. Fury went at her side and spoke gently:

"I want to thank you. Kalisha is a friend and I don't think Eret would have got over it if she had been killed; he might not say it often, but he loves her deeply."

"He doesn't need to, it's obvious when he looks at her."

"You can see that in a man?"

"It's easy to spot."

"I didn't think you could do that."

"Why not?" Asked she, pretty confused.

"Don't bother."

A wave of pain made her wince. It felt like her head would burst, not only because of the wounds but because of everything which happened.

"Are you okay?"

"Yeah…There is something I have to tell you, I didn't want to say that before everyone, but one of the men said something…He said: _Drago wanted to get you himself_. What's happening with him, exactly?"

His eyes widened at this : "Oh Thor…" But that was to be expected, after all the rumors of what happened on Berk were probably getting around, and those spies probably told him as soon as they heard of her. If that monstrous son of a bitch thought he could hurt her, oh he was wrong!

"I'll explain: Drago Bludvist is a madman, he also has dragons, but on contrary to us, he wants to conquer and enslave. He has a lot of slave merchants under his orders; a lot of people here were captured and sold for his profit. His army is as powerful as ours, with many dragons as well. The problem is, some tribes consider joining him to attack us."

"Why didn't they do that already?"

"Probably because they are afraid of him. After all, he is a madman and he killed chiefs in the past, some tribes still hold a grudge. I guess you heard of that. The thing is, some of them use slaves, so they'd rather see us disappear. If anything hints that we're weaker than Drago, they will never associate with us, and instead they'll go to him in order to be with the winner's side. And let's say that our war won't be an usual one."

Astrid bit her lips, a lot of chiefs had claimed in the past that their war would change everything in the archipelago, but in general, it had been boasting. Sure there had been battles, victims, but it would never be a real threat to their world. Here however, Fury wasn't boasting, he was worried, and she was starting to feel the same.

"Your attack on Berk wasn't only a revenge, wasn't it?"

"No, indeed. You understand now why this marriage must be believable?"

Indeed, but she She didn't know Drago Bludvist, but Stoick had told what happened when he killed chiefs. Since no other event involving the madman had occurred, people thought he died. She asked something, although she was starting to guess the answer.

"What has he done all those years?"

"He had prepared. He had enlarged his tribe, he has taken a new island, which is west form the archipelago. Now he is getting ready, but thank the gods, we also are. He has more soldiers and dragons than us, but my people are more loyal and we are better riders. We also have more food and gold than them. The thing is, the slave traders are a big support for him…We are somehow responsible for this. Slaves traders felt threatened by us, so they rallied Drago, they give him gold and slaves. Now maybe they would have got friends with him anyway, after all, he would have bought slaves anyway. I don't know"

Astrid remained silent, she imagined what would happen if Drago won that war. If she got what Fury said right, he had troops, but riches were limited. However, if he got his hands on Endris which was one of the richest Viking island, he would have everything needed…That idea made her scared, she wasn't easily scared, but this was big, very big.

"You have no allies?"

"I have an alliance with the Bog-Burglar, Camicazi helped a lot with that. There is also Mala, she has a small tribe, but they are ready to do everything to help us. We're also trying to get an alliance with Norbert, the chief of the Sea-Roamers."

"I know them, they often pass through Berk for trade."

Her head suddenly felt sore, she didn't know if it was her wounds or everything she just learned, but it made her wince. Of course, Fury noticed:

"Are you alright?"

"Yeah, it's just all that happened…The Nadder from the arena came to defend me..."

"She might have adopted you already."

"I…About riding dragons…"

"You decided of something?"

"Well..." She sighed and tried to find her words. She took a deep breath, she still hardly knew him, she didn't want to tell him everything about her life, but she didn't want him to misinterpret her decisions. "My family always fought dragons, one of my friends was killed by a dragon. Riding one would be like treason to everything I was taught, and to my friend. But, I can't ignore what happened today."

"…You know, I don't come from a tribe which was used to ride dragons. When I started to befriend them, I was feeling like I was betraying my tribe and my family too. But if what we're taught I wrong, we have to do something about it. And it's your tribe who proposed this marriage, weren't they aware the chosen one would have to adapt to her new home?

It made sense, yet sense wasn't always getting along with feelings. One sure thing was that she couldn't deny anymore that dragons helped her and she couldn't brush the Nadder away like this. She didn't think it would ever happen, but she owed a dragon her gratitude.

"How did you even find yourself befriending that one?" Asked she while looking at Toothless.

"It's not a joyful story...When I met Toothless I was at my lowest. I had always been scrawny and I wasn't really the best Viking around, and things went down at a point. When I found myself a gift with dragons, it was like a rebirth. I finally had a way to be free and release others who needed it. I had met Heather like this, and she became the first one to follow me. But it's up to her to tell you her story…I'm going to my room, don't hesitate to call if you need anything."

He left with Toothless, and she thought of everything they said. Yes, she felt like she would betray her tribe if she tried to befriend the beast but...She remembered her family's anger, as well as her friends', but the rest of the village was relieved. They said she was a hero, they were happy that she left instead of their own daughter or sister or niece. They had gladly left her to handle the situation; well she would handle it as she wanted. She owed that Nadder to try.

Her resolve was taken. She went up to Fury's room, letting her footsteps be loud enough to be heard, in case he didn't have his mask on. When she reached his room, he was standing with his back to her, and she couldn't help but notice that his mask was on the floor. She could only see the back of his head, and it was the only time she could actually see his hair. No scales on this part of him, just brown and quite messy hair. Toothless was eying her carefully but he wasn't growling.

"Fury?"

"Yes…What are you doing here?"

"I wanted to tell you that I'll give dragon training a try. Tomorrow morning?"

"Maybe I'll train you the evening, once my work is done and once you're over with yours."

"Okay. I'm leaving you, good night."

"Good night."

She turned away and headed toward her room when she heard his voice. He was wearing his mask once more.

"Wait, hum…Actually, I'll take you to the arena during the morning, because there are some things I would like to show you. I'll tell Heather and Camicazi to handle some of my tasks for the day."

"What do you want to show me?"

"It will be a surprise. I don't know if you'll like it, but…Let's say, you probably didn't see anything like it."

"Don't you have that man to interrogate?"

"I will, but he has to wake up first. We can spend some time together first."

Her natural curiosity was appealed by what she heard, and she accepted. She would only need to tell Fishlegs and Belda that she wouldn't be here to train the kids. Hiccup called Toothless and they went for a night fly.

"She accepted, bud! We'll do it!"

The dragon gave him a happy cooing. He was feeling a bit guilty about leaving Cami and Heather to handle everything, but it wouldn't be the first time, after all, he would do it whenever he had to leave for a trip or when he was sick or wounded. Plus, he had taken care of many problems, the streets which had been destroyed were being rebuilt, and it was going pretty well and quickly. They had set a plan to find out what Drago was preparing, they had prepared military defenses in case of attacks and he had taken care of other smaller problems. He could take most of the next day to spend some time with Astrid, they could handle it, and he would repay them. Plus, he would go to the man to interrogate him, but only after giving some of his time to his betrothed. He wouldn't be immediately awake anyway. He fled above his island which was enlightened by the moonlight and looked at the stars right above him. He wanted her to discover all that, and much more. Everything he could offer her, he would give.

 **O o O**

The news of what happened spread fast, people were talking a lot about the spies who tried to kill a young woman, and how their future chieffess defended her. The news spread in the taverns, on the docks, and it soon reached a certain person. In a tavern a man was sitting and listening while faking to be interested in a game of dices. No one here had recognized him, but it was expected, he had spent his life in the shadows and only a few people actually knew who Viggo really was, and what he really looked like. He still had to be very careful here, because Fury had seen him once, and if he was to enter, he would recognize him immediately. But to other people here, he was simply a man working for a merchant. Although Fury knew there were spies, he couldn't stop trade, it would be damaging for his tribe, so he still had to allow merchants' boats to come at his harbor. Of course, those were controlled, but it was mainly the merchandise they would inspect and the captain they would keep an eye on. Not a simple worker like him.

Viggo was furious, but in contrary to his brother or Drago, his rage was a cold one, a meticulous and patient one. Oh, those idiots were lucky that they had been captured, their fate would have been worse if Drago had got his hands on them! Things didn't go as planned, not at all! Even worse, one of them had spoken, and another one would be interrogated soon. In fact, the people here knew already that Drago had something to do with what happened. Fury probably had figured out his plan. At least, they didn't know that he knew their plans failed, and the spies had never been made aware that Viggo was here, their orders had only be given through messages. Once again, he congratulated himself for becoming a shadow over the years. Now he needed change some things, and to do the job by himself.

That Astrid girl couldn't die, it would be a waste, but that was something a lot of people couldn't understand: that sometimes, you could need potential enemies to stay alive. Drago understood it, Viggo had to give him that, he wasn't stupid at all, and he had understood Astrid would be more useful alive than dead. Eret's fiancée, yes, they had wanted her dead, but she was the only one supposed to die! Not that she was important, but it would have driven Eret crazy, and some other murders like this would have been an efficient poison to weaken Fury. He couldn't do that anymore, but he had another move prepared, and he would still use it. Drinking a tank of mead, he was listening to a bard while playing, he had to admit it wasn't the worse kind of evening he had passed, some people here were almost likeable. He would still enslave them all.

He returned on his boat, the captain looked at him and didn't dare to say anything; he was the only man on board who knew who he truly was. Once alone, he thought of his plan. Drago was developing his weapon on his side; Ryker was getting ready to provide a distraction as he had told him to do. As for him, he would meet with Astrid soon.

 **Next chapter will be a bit more romantic, I promise. Don't hesitate to review !**


	12. Magic

**Chapter 12**

 **Hi everybody! Thank you to everyone who reviewed! Since I didn't update since long, I'm gonna make a summary to recap some things; someone suggested me that in the comments, and it's indeed a good idea.**

 **Astrid is starting to get friends and helps Belda to train the future warriors of the island. One day Kalisha, Eret's fiancée, get attacked by three men. Astrid defends her and is helped by dragons for that, among them a Nadder she started to bond with. Two of the attackers survive the fight, one is interrogated and the second one is maimed and has yet to wake up. They learned that the man who got maimed is a spy from Drago and that he hired the two others to help him murder people close to Eret and Fury in order to raise paranoia among the tribe. Hiccup explains Astrid about the war against Drago Bludvist and she accepts to try training the Nadder. Hiccup decides he will spend some time with her to help her train her dragon. However, we learn that Viggo managed to infiltrate Endris and has some projects for Astrid.**

When Astrid and Hiccup entered the arena this morning, only dragons were in here, most of them were eating fishes and cleaning their scales. Toothless wasn't with them, but Hiccup had left him with Lady and their cubs for some needed family time that morning. It wouldn't be so bad for his rider either, Hiccup wanted to have some time alone with Astrid to help her chill out. Obviously, she wasn't distraught or upset after the fight she got in; however everything he explained her about the war coming was a bit hard to swallow like this. In fact, he wouldn't mind having a slight break too before the spy she maimed yesterday would wake up. The Nadder came immediately toward the humans as soon as she saw them.

"Hi, how are you that morning?" Asked Fury while scratching her snout.

The dragon just made a happy gargle, and Astrid extended her hand tentatively. The Nadder rubbed her snout against her palm and the young woman soon found herself at ease to pet and scratch the beast. She didn't feel the same wariness she did at first; after all, the beast came to help her in a fight. It was still so strange to touch a dragon like that, but she had to admit it didn't feel wrong anymore.

"Hey, girl…Do you have a name? Does she have a name?"

"No, if you want to give her one, you're free to do so."

"I'll think about it. What do we do, now?"

"Well, you can continue to pet her for now, to bond with her, and after that, you'll see if she comes at you when you call her."

She just nodded and continued to pet the beast who gladly allowed the human to pamper her a bit. The scaly feeling was still weird, but it wasn't disagreeable and Astrid had to admit it was quite funny to see that big spiky beast react like a kitty or puppy. When she saw the beast's paw moving at times while being scratched or the way her tail happily waved, Astrid decided she was definitely more like a puppy.

"She waves her tails! I didn't think dragons would do that."

"Some does it when they are happy, but with other species, it's not a good sign."

The Nadder suddenly licked Astrid's right cheek, and though it could be touching, Astrid was not that charmed to have the right side of her face covered by sticky dragon saliva. She heard Fury laugh and threw him a deadly look. He handed her a cloth and she wiped the saliva away.

"You'll have to get used to that," he giggled.

She rolled her eyes and grinned in spite of herself. The Nadder nudged her and started to make turns while waving her tail.

"I think she wants to play," Fury explained. "You'll have to understand what kind of games she likes. But maybe we should go outside the arena for that, to have more space. Call her to see if she follows you."

"Hum…Dragon! Dragon!"

She made signs at the Nadder while backing away toward the exit. The dragon just titled her head at first and then started to advance toward Astrid. It took some minutes, but eventually, the beast followed her outside. Astrid thought about what she should do: the beast was behaving quite like a dog, she could try something…She picked up a rod and shook it before the Nadder. The dragon looked at it with interest and sniffed it before Astrid threw it away. The beast immediately went after it to bring it back. Astrid threw it away again, only to have the Nadder happily going after it once more. Fury approached her.

"You're doing well; it's not always easy to spot what a dragon likes."

"So you think she'll let me get on her back soon?" She said while throwing the rod again.

"There are good chances for that. She likes you, but you have to like her too, a bond between a dragon and its rider cannot be one-sided."

"She is starting to grow on me, I have to admit it," Astrid slowly said. "And after what happened, I… I do trust her. She wouldn't have saved me just to kill me right behind it."

"Good. Let's try to have her responding to your call once more."

They trained a bit more, playing with the dragon and observing how she would respond to Astrid. It was going well, Astrid was lucky that this Nadder was friendly and used to humans though, a wild one would have been harder to train. But right now, he aimed for something easy, Astrid already had obstacles in her own mind to overcome, no need to add more. He eventually stopped the training, they had to give the dragon some space so she wouldn't feel overwhelmed.

"How will it go from now on?" Asked she.

"You'll check on her at least every morning, and go to her at other times of the day when you can. You'll take care of her and play with her. If I'm here with you, I'll teach you new things, if something stops me form joining you, you'll simply continue to bond with her. But don't try to take your first flight alone. We're over for now, there are a few things I would like to show you. You might have wondered why we have so much honey? Really good harvests?"

"I did, I can't get why you have so much compared to other tribes."

"You'll understand. And you'll saw beautiful parts of this island as well. Come with me."

They crossed a part of the town, and went toward the hills and he explained her that it was on this part of the island that they would cultivate their food. Astrid followed him as they passed through the huge fields and crossed a river. The water would fall down into a pond which was slightly steaming and in which children were playing along with some dragons. The cascade was surrounded by moss and flowers, it was a lovely sight. She was starting to realize that this place was warmer than the village.

"Even the water isn't cold yet," he declared.

She plunged her hand in the river and was surprised to see that the water was indeed good, not hot but warm enough to swim. They went up, passed a rock formation and Fury told her they were about to reach the first place he wanted to show her. She gaped once she saw it. It was a large meadow covered with flowers of countless colors; she even saw some bushes of wild roses among those. There were flowers on Berk but not so many at one place, especially not at that time of the year.

"You should see it in spring, it's even more beautiful."

"How can it be?!"

"Do you feel the warmth? This part of the island is the hottest, winter always come later here, summer is longer. That's why we have the fields here, with the stream and the warmth it's perfect. That flower meadow has a use, it's not just a nice-looking place."

They crossed the meadow and Astrid couldn't help but admire what she was seeing. It was life defying the usual coldness and roughness of the Norse. As they advanced towards trees at the border of the meadow, a buzzing sound was becoming louder and louder. Soon, Astrid saw numerous honey boxes and people working in there, wearing leather protections. There were also many flowers around the trees. Countless bees were flying and Astrid felt a bit scared: she had never seen so many before! Yet none of those attacked. This place did deserve the name of _Honey Island_.

They took another path through a future orchard, only a few fruit trees were grown already. He showed her the entrance of a cave on the mountain's flank. They went in, a box of torches was here for whoever would come. They walked in a rock tunnel which was quite damp at first and progressively went dry. Astrid couldn't help but feel some excitement she would feel whenever she would face something mysterious or dangerous. After all she was on an island which was out of ordinary, in a mysterious tunnel with a strange masked man. Eventually, the tunnel was clearer and clearer and Astrid wondered what could be in there.

"Don't be too loud and don't touch the walls."

They continued to walk and the air grew hotter and hotter. Astrid's eyes widened and she felt a cold shiver in spite of the heat when they arrived. Thousands of small fiery forms were moving around in what seemed like a gigantic bee hive. The walls were glowing fiercely and she could see as clearly as in plain day even though the sun had no place here. It was magical, it seemed like she was looking at living fire, for a moment she wondered if this was another world.

"Those are fireworms, minuscule dragons with extremely hot skins, a simple contact can burn you. They are the ones warming this part of the island."

"It's incredible...I never saw anything like this!"

"There is a lot to discover about dragons and also about what's beyond the archipalego. And when you're on a dragon's back, height can't stop you anymore and you can overcome distances easily. If you let me, I can show you places and things you never thought possible or even imagined. We could even discover some together."

Now that was a tempting proposition. Hiccup looked at her with hope, maybe she would want that, Astrid had always been curious and fond of adventure.

"I guess it's worth a try," she simply answered. "…Let's get out, it feels like my skin is burning."

He nodded and once they were out again, Fury proposed her to take a walk through that part of the island and she accepted. The picture formed by the countless trees and plants growing on the hills and descending toward the ocean was lovely. Some of the crops and trees were unknown to her, probably brought on dragons' back from faraway lands. Towering over those peaceful fields, the mountains covered by forests and crowned with snow were impressive. Fury offered her to follow to the Great Hall where the lunch would be served soon.

"Oh, while I think about it, there is something else you have to see. Maybe someone showed you already, but if they didn't, you must see it."

"What is it?"

"I won't tell you, if you don't know about it yet, it will be a surprise. Let's say it's another kind of atmosphere."

When they entered the Great Hall, she noticed how people looked at her, she caught bits of conversation and understood they were talking about what happened yesterday…They got news of Kalisha, she was doing well. Fishlegs and Heather were in here as well and Astrid told him about what she saw. Heather promised she would show him the fireworms and it seemed like he was going to faint out of enthusiasm.

Their meal was short, Astrid was eager to know what Fury had been talking about. She was brought before a stone building and realized it was one of the few, the others would be mostly made of woods. It was also pretty big, it even had a small tower at one side of the building, and it had many windows in comparison to other Nordic buildings. Those windows were made of glass, something which wasn't usual, Vikings wouldn't use that material very much. A big wooden door was opened and Astrid gaped in pure amazement when she saw what was inside: the walls were covered with huge shelves which all contained books and parchments. There were maps hung on the walls, tables and banks in the rooms would allow people to work there, and the many windows allowed the sun to enter. She had never seen so many books in one place!

"We had the best of our architects and builders working on that place. It was finished only recently, and we managed to fill it pretty well. But we can still have more, much more. We want that place to become a sanctuary of knowledge. Only a few people here know how to read and write, once we'll have enough teachers, we'll be able to teach everyone to read and write and everyone will have access to this."

She hardly heard him saying she could come here as much as she wanted. He wouldn't have stopped her from coming here anyway, even if he had wished it. He showed her some books he liked in particular, some pictures in those were impressive. He showed her some maps of country she never heard of, and also showed her a book about dragons.

"We have several books about them, this one is one of the most complete. You can read it if you want. There are also treaties about how to train them, but we don't let anyone have those. Those are in a special room, only the most trusted people have access to it."

"In order to stop guys like Drago's spies to get those."

He nodded and he continued to show her around the library. He showed her the door behind which every book about dragon training and other secrets were locked. She didn't ask to go in, it wasn't useful for now and anyway she wasn't here since long enough for that. This place was a gem, and she couldn't help but shudder at the idea that men like the one she fought yesterday could come here, raid and destroy everything. They stayed until their stomach ached and they quickly got something to eat before Hiccup proposed to take her to another place and she was quite enthusiastic.

"We're growing gardens at the outskirts of the city. Those are getting really marvelous."

"You know, I'm glad you showed me those things, but I was wondering why you would take so much time for that. You could have simply asked Heather or someone else to do it."

"I want you to know the island. You don't like it?"

"It's not that, I was just wondering why you were taking so much time for me."

"It would be a shame if I didn't."

"If it is because of yesterday's fight, I'm okay. It's not the first time for me."

"Oh, I don't doubt that, but…That doesn't mean I should be indifferent. And I still want you to see the island anyway, and it's only courteous of me to show you myself, you have been here for some days, I should have done it earlier."

"I wasn't in the best state of mind when I arrived…Anyway, I guess Kalisha won't work as your…Our maid anymore. I mean, she is still resting and she is gonna marry Eret pretty soon. After that she won't have to work as a maid anymore. She told me once she wanted to learn how to read, and after that she would have liked to teach children."

"We'll have to get someone else indeed, I didn't take care of it yet, though. Look, the gardens are there."

Elevated on a mount at a flank of a hill was a long stone wall, Astrid had noticed it before but she never really bothered about it. Fury explained that artisans who made oil, perfume, soap were living here, because the gardens had many useful plants for them, even though they would often go to other wild places to get what they needed or cultivate it in their own gardens. They reached the garden's door and he let her enter it. She smiled, at what she saw, she didn't usually like closed gardens, because nature should run free, but she had to admit this place looked gorgeous. A part of the garden was naturally enclosed by the rocky flank of the hill which was partly covered by climbing plants, and a part of it also ended at the border of a cliff. Only half of the gardens were closed by walls. A natural little stream was running through the place, sparkling under the sun. The grass was still very green, she saw various bushes and trees, roses were growing on parts of the rocks and the walls. The colors of fall were making the garden radiant. They walked slowly through it and sat under an oak tree.

"That one was already here when we came. Those gardens will be even more beautiful in some years. Just like the rest of the island."

"It's already beautiful. I wished we had that on Berk…"

She looked troubled suddenly. He asked her what was wrong and she murmured:

"I just wonder how they are doing back there, my family and my friends. Spitelout is…Well, Spitelout. They don't have a good chief to lead them. And I pray Drago won't get to them, they don't have dragon like you do to fight back."

"Berk isn't Drago's priority, far from it. Is that all?"

"Well, I guess I still ask myself questions about our future wedding. I know why we have to do this, but it's not like a usual military task or mission. Even if we never get truly intimate, we'll still share our lives for some times."

Hiccup looked at her and dared to take her hand; she looked at it in disbelief but didn't take it away.

"You're not obliged to do this only for your tribe. Is there really so much that displeases you about me?"

"Well...I dislike this stupid mask of yours. And as I told you, I didn't like the way you acted during our encounter. But otherwise, I don't know you enough to say precisely what I dislike about you."

"Then we could learn to know each other and maybe in the end, you'll really want to marry me, or at least like me enough to enjoy your time here."

"Well, it's surely better than marrying a complete stranger. It's still gonna be difficult if you don't even trust me to tell me your real name and hide your face."

"Believe me, I have reasons for that, I would rather not hide it all the time, but I have to, you'll understand once I'll show you."

"It'd better be the case. But what about you?"

"What do you mean?" Asked he.

"You're also in this, you told me that you took this decision to avoid starving or massacring the population. It's all good but if you didn't plan on getting married, you're probably not liking it that much."

"Well I was wary at first, I didn't know who I would end up with. When I saw you, well…I told you how I felt. But, I'm not against marrying you at all, our relationship didn't start on the good side, but it means we do have space to improve it. And you're...You're my type," he murmured, glad that the mask was hiding his reddening cheeks though he couldn't help himself but rub his neck. "So, it's not hopeless on my side."

There was something in the way he looked at her...He had a thing for her! How didn't she see that sooner? She had to say something, because right now, she was feeling incredibly embarrassed. This was stupid, men had already looked at her, so why did it felt like it was new with him? He was still holding her hand, she noticed, and she was still not taking it away.

"Well, if we have to know each other, what do we begin with?"

"What do you like, beside fighting, training and reading?" Asked he.

"I...I like to hang out with friends, I like to swim and play some games. I also like to dance, to explore, take a walk in the forest or the mountain and hunt. What about you?"

"I do like those things too, except for hunting, it had never been my thing. I like to draw and of course I like to fly and play with Toothless. I'm not very fond of dancing, though I don't hate that either, I guess the metal has something to do with it."

She huffed in amusement at this.

"I also like climbing. I also like to hear music, songs and stories. However, I'm not a good singer and I don't play any instrument either," she explained.

"Neither do I. I'm fond of stories too, from what some people said, I'm a good teller."

"I'm a better audience," Astrid admitted. "I liked Tuff's stories, even if a lot were extremely silly."

He almost said that he enjoyed those too, but held himself in time. He used to tell stories too, before leaving Berk, when they were gathering around a campfire.

"Kalisha, Eret and Belda has some good ones too. Heather is a good singer on her side."

"I'll have to hear her sing one day. Fishlegs can play flute..." She had a little laugh and Fury looked at her with questioning eyes. "He tried to teach me, but it was definitely not a success! He also tried to teach me some things about gardening, but I must say it's not my thing."

"Oh, neither it is for me!" Fury exclaimed. "Heather does like that, they could get along. Eret also love fishing, but it bores me to no end, if I have to fish it will be only out of necessity."

"Same with me, what's so great about waiting for a dumb fish to bit your bait?!"

He laughed and she allowed herself to chuckle. They could be friends, it was at least that. They continued to walk in the gardens, allowing her to admire it all; the wind blowing softly livened the place while the two of them chatted about anything came into their minds. She told him some things about her family, and he spoke of his dragons. He explained her that he and Toothless found Lady imprisoned by Drago who had mistreated her in order to break her spirit. The madman wanted to have a Night Fury in his army, probably to mock his enemy, or out of jealousy. He eventually brought her to Toothless and his little family. Since Astrid had moved in, Lady was hardly coming in the house anymore, probably not very happy about having a stranger around her and the cubs. Fury explained Astrid that though she was nice she wouldn't take a rider, and she wouldn't trust humans that easily.

"Come with me, approach gently."

The family of Night Furies was playing in the grass. Toothless warmly greeted his rider and even rubbed himself against Astrid warmly, but the cubs and the mother only went to Fury. Though the cubs were now big enough to go in a fight, they weren't fully grown yet, and their parents were still very protective, and Lady wouldn't let humans approach them easily.

"Hey guys, this is Astrid," he said while taking her hand. "Extend it to them, but don't try to touch them." He turned to the female dragon. "It's alright, Lady, you can trust her."

She cooed softly to him and he petted her gently. Astrid just extended her hand and although Lady sniffed it at distance, she didn't approach. Her cubs seemed more hesitant and Toothless did something surprising then. He slightly pushed one of them toward the girl. She couldn't help but feel incredibly moved by that gesture: that animal trusted her with his offspring. The mother tensed as the cub approached her and sniffed Astrid's skin. Still hesitant, the small dragon rubbed her scaly head against her hand.

"This is Ebony," Fury whispered, "she is probably the most assertive of them."

Astrid petted her a bit, when Lady pushed her daughter out of the way a bit.

"It's alright, Lady, it's alright, she won't hurt your cubs, you know me, I wouldn't let anything bad happen to them." He took Astrid's hand once more. "Maybe you should try with Lady first. If the mother knows you, she'll be more reassured."

He kept his palm on the back of her hand, hoping it would reassure Lady. The female sniffed Astrid's skin and cooed slightly but didn't push her snout against her. Toothless nuzzled his female, and she returned the gesture, but made no further move toward Astrid. Fury got up and she did the same.

"Let's not overwhelm her. She'll need time, the fact she didn't growl at you is a good sign."

"I don't see scars over her body," Astrid pointed out.

"Drago didn't want to take risks. You see, with dragons like Gronkles or Nadders, he allows himself and his men to be brutal, because they are easy to find. If they accidentally kill one, it's not a big deal to them. It was different with her, since Lady was the only Night Fury he ever got, she was a precious specimen. No, instead, Drago muzzled her so she wouldn't be able to spit fire, and he and his men would use things like sticks to fight her and try to get on her back. It couldn't cause permanent damages to a healthy dragon, but it was enough to hurt and scare her. They would all take turn at that so she would hardly be resting, they would scarcely feed her…In the end she was exhausted and distraught, and without Toothless, I would have had a really hard time to get her to come with me."

"That's why she never wanted a rider."

"Maybe. Some dragons accept riders even after rougher treatments, while others simply don't want a human on their back; it's not at their liking. I think Lady was a bit like that, and after what she went through, I don't think she'll even change her mind. Night Furies in general aren't easy to tame. I got lucky."

She was about to ask something else, when a voice suddenly interrupted their conversation.

"Chief!"

They saw a young boy coming toward them, looking panicked. Hiccup immediately went toward him.

"Chief! There is a fight, the Ferston are against the Hornfeet again…"

"Oh gosh! Seriously!"He sighed, the kid probably didn't know that Heather and Cami were in charge today. But after all, a chief never takes vacation. "I'll take care of that," he turned to Astrid, "It's two rival clans, they just keep fighting around. If it doesn't bother you..."

"Of course not. I can handle myself without you, you know," she said with a smile. "I'll go in the arena."

"Well, I'll find you once I'm over. Come, Toothless!"

He left her with some regret, he wanted to spend more time with her, but he had duties. Had they been married already, she would have come with him, but it wasn't the case and she wasn't here since long enough to take care of that kind of duties. The boy led him to the two families; fights were regular in the tribe, between Vikings it was no big deal, people would do that to have fun or to sort out some issues quickly. Those kind of fights would rarely interfere with the good march of the town. However, family feuds could be much more important and cause more damages. When he arrived, Hiccup saw that they were starting to break things around to hut each other and other people were trying to stop them, only worsening the fight in the process. Hiccup had Toothless roar crazily, getting everyone's attention. Though half of the people fighting were twice his size and older, none of them dared to speak back when he gave them a good telling-off. He reminded them that he wouldn't tolerate his best warriors to fight and harm each other when the enemy could attack at any time, that a friendly fight was okay but he didn't want them to put a mess in town and that they'd better keep their energy for Drago's men. He ordered them to repair the damages and pay for whatever couldn't be replaced. As he was about to leave and join Astrid again, he heard Heather's voice:

"Fury! Fury, the guy woke up."

Hiccup knew what she was talking about. The man Astrid wounded yesterday was the leader of the trio who attacked Kalisha. It was time for interrogation.

 **O o O**

After Fury's departure, Astrid walked to the arena while thinking of a possible name for the dragon. For now she had no idea, maybe it would come to her while interacting with the beast. She wouldn't try to ride her of course, but maybe play with her a bit. The arena was a bit away from the houses, in order to give both people and dragons some space. When Astrid walked toward it, she was alone, no one was around but a few dragons. She was about to enter the arena when a hand suddenly grabbed her wrist. Her heart suddenly raced, she turned around and saw an unknown man raising a finger to his lips. She freed herself immediately and seized her axe when the man raised his hand in the air.

"Wow, calm down, I'm not here to attack you."

"Who are you and what do you want?!"

"I'm here to help."

She looked at him with suspicions, her axe still in her hands, but her curiosity was sparkled at this. What did he mean by that? He was staying in the shadow, as if he wanted to make sure no one would see him.

"To help with what, and who are you?!"

"I can't tell you, not as long as I'm not sure I can trust you. I know why Fury keeps you here, and I can help you to regain your freedom."

It left her gaping in surprise: he could set her free? She regained herself.

"I can't just trust someone if I have no idea of who they are."

"Alright…I'm one of Drago's men. Hold on, hold on," he quickly uttered as he saw the look on her face. "I know they probably told you awful things about us."

"They aren't the only ones who told me awful things about Drago Bludvist."

"I know what kind of rumors goes about him, some are true, some are false. I bet Fury told you they were fighting for justice and all, that they were freeing everyone from cruel men?" She gave no answer, and he went on. "I bet he didn't tell you what kind of catastrophic impact his actions have."

"What do you mean?"

"Some tribes lives thanks to dragon hunting, and they live through slavery. It can seem rough, but it's part of the world we live in, and some tribes are getting poorer and poorer because of what Endris does. Mine has been affected by it. Some dragon hunters or slave traders were bringing important amounts of gold, but now they can hardly work and we are reduced to poverty…If this goes on, it could make countless of clans and entire tribe collapses."

She didn't know what to say at this. It was true she didn't see things under that angle. Yet…Yet it was that Drago who sent those men to kill Kalisha! It was he and his warriors who broke the slaves she saw…

"Some of your men tried to kill an innocent woman…"

"I know, and they almost killed you, I heard that. Believe me, I don't want you to die, and neither does Drago. I think those men misunderstood their orders.

"Oh yeah, what were those orders?!"

"They were supposed to kill that woman, yes, but we never ordered them to rape her. It's harsh, but people have to die during war, Fury and his men also caused innocents to die."

She was about to speak of the broken slaves she saw, but stopped herself. She would listen to him instead, she only asked:

"What could you want from me? Why would Drago care whether I die or not?"

"Well, you're Fury's fiancée, you can help us to uncover some of his secrets. Do that for us, and we'll set you free, and we'll also help your tribe to get back on their feet. Better, we'll help the Hooligans to restore their glory, Drago is no ingrate."

"What kind of secrets?"

"I can't tell you everything until I'm sure you're in this…But, I want to know who he is and why he is hiding under that mask."

"I don't know his name and I didn't see his face yet. Maybe he is simply badly disfigured, or maybe he is really half-dragon."

"Oh no, I can assure you his face is perfectly fine," he grinned slightly as he saw her gaping. "I saw him once, only once. I also thought just like you that he could be disfigured, but one day I got a glimpse of him without his mask. Imagine my surprise when I saw a perfectly normal, handsome face, even. But then, I asked myself a question and it keeps nagging me since that day: why would a normal guy hide his face like that to the world?"

Now she had to admit she was pretty confused and overwhelmed by this. That man saw Fury and he was describing him as completely normal…

"I still don't know who he is, and I want that to change. Look, if you want to gain back your freedom and be a hero for your tribe, promise me to come and retrieve me here tomorrow at the sunset _alone_. Swear on your honor that you'll come here alone and won't talk about meeting me. You'll tell me your answer, if you refuse I won't try to make you change your mind."

"I swear."

With that, he just smiled, left her and went toward the woods. She was confused. She returned back to the village, thinking about everything she heard.

Viggo was pretty satisfied: he had confused her, she had obviously been upset when he had told her about Fury. He had heard that she fought against Camicazi, that she had been called a simple present. If she was as hot-tempered as the rumors pictured her to be, she probably hated that tribe. Yet apparently Fury was beginning to improve his relationship with her. He had to make sure this wouldn't happen. He wasn't sure that he could trust her; she swore but it didn't necessarily mean she would hold up to her oath. But no plan was riskless. He would have to be careful, he knew she could turn against him, maybe she would tell Fury and he would get captured. Yet he was sure he would be able to manage. Fury wouldn't kill him immediately, he was too smart for that, he would probably keep him prisoner and Viggo was enough of an escape artist to find a solution to captivity. He knew his enemy after all, didn't he?

He hoped it would work, this girl could really be the key to the answer he was searching for. Viggo had told her the truth: he had seen Fury's face, but he didn't know who he was. And that was one of the things that haunted him, that kept nagging him at night. He hated Fury for it, and he also loved him in some way. Mysteries and challenges had always attracted Viggo, he loved to put his mind at it, and he would feel the sweetest kind of satisfaction when he could sort those. But here, the mystery was starting to be a bit too hard to break. In spite of everything he had tried, he still couldn't know who Fury was, or why he was hiding his face. It wasn't making him reluctantly start to question his abilities, and it wasn't tolerable. But that wasn't all.

In a lot of ways, Viggo had seen that Fury was like him. The dragon rider couldn't rely that much on physical strength, they both had to use their wits in a world which didn't value intelligence that much. They were both innovative, and they both knew how to play in that game of power. Sure, Fury was naïve on many points, but Viggo couldn't deny he was a good player, and that was the reason why Fury had done something no one else ever did: he had discovered Viggo's existence and who he was. Not only he had seen his face, but he also knew his name and his role in Drago's army. By doing that, it felt like his enemy had gained some sort of superiority, and that was because of one thing: _Viggo didn't know Fury's real identity._

That was probably what obsessed him the most: his adversary had discovered him although Viggo hadn't been willing to let him know who he was. No one had been able to do that since he decided to become a shadow, unless he allowed it. No one but Fury. Fury had countered his plans, and not by accident. Fury had made himself his adversary. And as long as he hadn't learned Fury's identity, he couldn't get even with him. The situation was new for Viggo. He loved the challenge, but hated the light Fury had thrown over him. But soon he would do the same. He would get him.

 **Yeah, I know a lot of people suggested that Viggo would be the one telling Astrid who Fury is, and would have liked to see that, but I planned since long that Viggo would have some sort of obsession over discovering who Fury truly is. I also already know how and when Astrid will learn. Don't hesitate to review, I might forget to answer sometimes, but it's always nice to read those!**


	13. Game on

**Chapter 13**

 **Game on**

 **Hi! I'm back! I know it took long, but as I explained in Dragon's Children, I got some problems with my PC and other stuff to deal with, it really slowed me down. Also that chapter is…Let's say some parts weren't easy to write! Some people told me it was too slow, and I admit I did spend too much time over some elements. But now, things should go at a faster pace.**

 **Edit: summary of what happened: In order to get some goods for Berk, Hiccup and his counselors decided to organize an expedition for gold led by young warriors. Belda, Astrid and Fishlegs take care of those young warriors together. At the same time, Astrid save Kalisha from three men sent to kill people around Fury and his counselors. Two of them die, but the third one is still alive, wounded, and apparently wants revenge from Eret. After that, Astrid and Fury get closer after spending some time together. Then, she is approached by Viggo, who ask her to spy Fury for him.**

 **Hope you'll enjoy.**

The cell was dark and gloomy; it was such a strange atmosphere after the day he spent with Astrid…He walked slowly in the jail, letting his footsteps echo in every cell. He knew how it could frighten prisoners. Eret was right behind him, he had been warned by Heather too, and his eyes were now those of a cold monster. When they reached the cell, they saw a man tied on a chair, diminished by the blood loss and pain. He was pale and sweaty; the bandage around his shoulder was soaked in blood. Yet they could see he was a huge man, and Astrid was really a good warrior for winning against three guys like that. Fury approached the torch from his face.

"You're all pale my poor fellow. We need to do something about it. What do you think, Eret?"

"If you think you can scare me, runt, you're wrong. I could break you in two, even in such a state."

"Well, Astrid isn't bigger than me, and you couldn't defeat her, even though you had two companions and two fine shoulders. So I doubt that." The man's jaw tightened but he lowered his eyes in shame. "I would win. Bu I won't give you the honor of dying in a fight."

Eret took the man's jaw roughly and looked at him. There was hatred in their eyes and Eret suddenly realized:

"I know you!"

"Damn right you know me! You killed my son to save your pathetic life!"

Eret turned to Hiccup: "The day you saved me from Drago, some guys tried to kill us, my Tann."

He wouldn't forget. Because not only he had met his friend, but it was also the first time he had seen Drago. "Some guards, yes, I remember."

"Not just some guards! My son was among them! And those men had a family."

"Enslaving and battling means dying. You, your son and Drago should have known that."

"You…" He was brutally cut off when Eret's sent his fist in his stomach. He then drew his knife out and put it at the corner of his lips. "Your son was nothing but a stupid brute! I don't regret killing him, I enjoyed it, in fact! You got lucky Drago chose to send you here, but you weren't good enough to do something with that luck!"

The man's eyes were burning with hatred, once Eret took away the knife, he yelled: "Oh, I wasn't chosen! I asked Drago to send me! I volunteered to drag you down!"

"Drago would have targeted me," Fury countered. "You should have attacked Astrid."

"Oh, Drago will take care of your bitch! And she won't stand a chance against him!"

This worried Hiccup. They made him talk, using his anger to manipulate him, or plain torture, but they didn't learn much, except one thing: Viggo had been the one sending them orders. The man was dragged outside; one of the guards walked ahead of them and announced everyone that the last spy would be executed. People came out of their houses, out of the tavern or of the Great Hall. They threw stones and garbage at the man who couldn't even walk by himself. He tried to sight Astrid but couldn't see her anywhere. He was thrown on his knees and Fury spoke up:

"This man, a vile spy from Drago, is to be executed. Not only he worked against us, to try to get us chained and enslaved, but he also tried to dishonor and kill a defenseless young woman. Eret, go ahead."

His friend walked to the spy who couldn't even speak anymore. One blow was enough to make his head roll on the ground. Grabbing it by the hair, Eret went back home, intending to show this to Kalisha. Hiccup decided to go and look for Astrid. He was confirmed that Drago wanted her, but what for? He wanted to kill her himself? He didn't know, but he as deeply worried.

 **O o O**

The next day, Hiccup explained Astrid they would prepare a new expedition. He asked her to look out for Belda and Fishlegs and bring them to the Great Hall. They were at the training area already, after exchanging a few friendly words, Astrid told them why she was here.

"The chief wants to know if the trainees are ready for the fight," she explained. "An expedition will take place soon."

"I know I'm not the one in charge, but we can't tell him those kids are ready to go," murmured Fishlegs.

"Well, I don't like to say it, but you're right. Most of them aren't ready, only a few could go, and not alone," Belda assured. "I don't like to admit failures, but it's true."

"It's no failure, most of them never had training before, we can't make warriors out of them in a few days," he replied soothingly.

They reached the place and explained to Fury and most of the people here that only a few of their students would be ready. The chief didn't appear to be surprised.

"Then experienced adults will go. Those expeditions must go on, we planned to attack pirates and Outcasts, I think we'll target slaver's ship instead. Who's up to it?"

Almost everyone in the room raised their hands and battle cries were heard through the Great Hall. Fury had a satisfied smile. He raised his hand to obtain silence and the room became quieter:

"We'll go when the winds will be less violent; it should get better in the following days. In the meantime, sharpen yourselves; we have some slavers to break!"

Acclamation followed those words and then the warriors were happily talking about preparations. Astrid remained silent for most of the council, listening carefully. She went toward her fiancee, and took his arm gently:

"I would like to go as well."

A surprised expression could be read through his mask, but he nodded.

"Fine, but you'll need to learn to ride on a dragon, or at least to mount one. Quickly."

"Then we shouldn't lose time."

He smiled and brought her outside. She was surprised when he called Toothless, she would have thought he'd have other duties to attend, yet she would surely not protest.

"You'll mount behind me for a start, we'll see how you keep balance and handle heights." He got on the beast's back as if it was the most natural thing. She just stood there, not knowing what she was waiting for. "Are you sure you're ready?"

"Yeah, the sooner, the better."

She had to admit it was a bit scary. The black dragon allowed her to get on back with no problem.

"Don't be nervous, keep your back straight and watch your balance. The dragon has to feel your confidence."

"Alright," she murmured while gripping his shoulders.

Toothless extended his large wings and in what seemed like a blink, they were suddenly going up. Astrid gasped and her arms imprisoned Fury's bust in an iron-like grip. She heard him chuckle. She tried to tell him to shut up but was unable to talk as the ground was getting more and more distant. The wind seemed wilder than ever, as if it wanted to take her to the clouds. Her eyes went down to gaze upon the rooftops, and a second later it was the tree she could see from above, the fields, everything she walked through a few days ago only. Soon, she could see the top of the highest mountains. She couldn't believe it, she was really in the air, flying!

"Hey, ever wondered what it feels like to touch a cloud?"

At those words, she looked up and saw how close she was from the gigantic, white clouds. There was nothing but the sky around them.

"Oh my…"

"Ready? Go!"

Her eyes widened and she stopped breathing as they reached the cloud. She shivered when they entered it, and she was breathless to feel water. A multitude of tiny droplets of water…It felt a bit like the rain, except that it was all around her instead of falling, and it felt like minuscule feathers caressing her skin. They suddenly were in the blue sky again, and she couldn't see the island anymore, only bits of the ocean below and the clouds. Her head felt light, she leaned against Fury. Her body was shaking and shivering, but not out of nervousness. That was excitement; she could hardly get enough of that, she opened her arms, and allowed herself to feel the wind.

"How does it feel?"

"It's wonderful!...Thank you…"

They heard a shriek and saw Astrid's Nadder flying toward them. She and Toothless exchanged a few grunts. Fury laughed: "Seems like she is a bit jealous." Astrid laughed and reached to her to graze her with the tips of her fingers. The Nadder flew around them, having fun in the clouds.

She didn't know how long they stayed in the sky, but it didn't seem enough for her when they reached the ground. He smiled to her: "You did well. Next time, you could try on her back. Or I could teach you to shot arrows from a dragon's back. It's not as difficult as it seems. Did you think of a name for her?"

"Yeah…She looked like a storm when she was flying. Stormfly could be a good name for her."

He was enthusiastic at this. This definitely meant she wouldn't go back on her decision. He regretted not staying with her longer, but he had much work to do. Astrid decided to tell Fishlegs about what she experienced and almost regretted it in the end. Her friend enthusiasm and endless questions were adorable but also a bit smothering: _How fast did you get? How does it feel to be in a cloud? Did you get sick? Was the dragon okay with you on his back?_ He asked her all that while they helped the young ones to try and insisted to go and help her to take care of Stormfly. The Nadder quickly took a liking on him.

Later that day, Astrid found an excuse to be alone and she went toward the arena, checking discretely that no one was following her. Viggo had asked her to meet this evening, at the same spot. Stormfly wasn't here, probably flying somewhere to get fishes. She checked her surrounding once more; most people were in the village at such a time. She went to the border of the trees, she wasn't sure she remembered well, was it really here…

"Here," whispered a manly voice.

She turned toward the sound and saw him coming from behind a tree. He looked everywhere to check out that no one followed her and she only waited, her arms crossed.

"I see you're alone, just as promised."

"I'm a woman of my word. I hope you and Drago are reliable as well."

"We are. So, what did you decide?"

"I'm in."

"Good…Do you swear to me that you'll be loyal? That you'll join us when we'll ask you to do so?"

"I swear on my honor."

A smirk adorned his face.

"There is something I want in exchange of what I'll do."

"Naturally; name it."

"You said Drago would help Berk to restore its glory once the war is over?" He nodded. "For that, Spitelout and Snotlout will have to get ridden of, and Drago has to promise Hooligans will remain independent and free to choose their chief. And I don't want them to get involved in that war."

"Well, if the new chief they chose accepts to be our ally, all those wishes shall be granted. Don't you want anything for yourself?"

"Yes. Kalisha survived your first attack, I almost died for her, so I want her to be spared. It's not as if she was a threat anyway. Same with Fishlegs, I don't want anyone to hurt him."

"That plan failed, attacking her again would be pointless," he assured. "As for your friend, I never wished him harm."

"Good. Maybe I'll also ask Drago to let me kill Spitelout and his son myself; I could give them to the dragon Fury offered to me."

"You accepted to have a dragon?"

"I would be disadvantaged otherwise."

"Good point. And it could really be useful to us. I must admit we aren't as good as Fury and his people to bend dragons to our will. Maybe you could tell us about the methods they use."

"I took my first flight today. They don't really bend dragons to their will, from what I understood it's about respecting the animal, but I still need to know more about it."

"Oh, I guess someone as naïve as Fury wouldn't think of hurting one of his precious reptiles."

Astrid grinned and huffed at this; the man smirked a bit.

"Insist to have him teaching you their way, even the most secret ones."

"I think that's what he intends to do anyway. Maybe he hopes to win me over like that."

"Guess he'll have a bad surprise. It doesn't sound like you hate him, though."

"I don't hate him like I hate Spitelout. But I certainly don't want to marry him, I want him out of the way," she said harshly.

"That's enough for me. What can you tell me?"

She summed up what had been said during the Council. He looked thoughtful: "Do you know who will go?"

"I don't know many people yet, Heather will I believe. Oh, Camicazi will go." She spat the name. "She insisted to go since she stayed behind when they attacked Berk."

"That doesn't surprise me, she loves fighting. Also, who is their target? Do they even have one, or will they simply attack any slave ship they can find?"

"Well, they didn't speak about it in the Great Hall. All they said is that they would prepare an expedition against slave merchants and would need volunteers."

"Try to learn more, quickly, I'm sure he has someone in mind already. Seduce him if need be, if he wants to win you over you should have no problem with that. Will he participate?"

"I think he will."

"Then, this could be an opportunity…We might end all of this sooner than I thought."

They parted soon, she explained she had to go back to the Great Hall for dinner. Once she was there, she sat at Fury's side, and they spoke of casual subjects. She allowed him to take her hand at the table and smiled to him. She also petted Toothless when they went back home. The next morning, she went to Viggo and told him they would target a man named Krogan.

 **O o O**

Considering Astrid wasn't an experienced rider, Fury decided she would mount behind someone during the expedition. She asked to mount behind him and he saw no objection to that. Stormfly would still come however, even if Astrid wouldn't ride her, the Nadder would follow Toothless. The day before the battle, Astrid went to her dragon, making sure she would be fine for battle. She didn't plan to stay for long, but the Nadder nicely demanded to be pampered and Astrid couldn't help but yield. She was scratching the beast's head and neck, chuckling at the way the dragon reacted.

"Aren't you a bit disappointed not to ride her?" Said a voice behind her.

She turned round and saw Eret entering the arena. He had a big bag of fishes and every dragons but Stormfly surrounded him until emptied it. She smiled at him as he came at her side: "A bit. But it's better that way."

"Your first expedition on dragon's back! It will definitely be something I'm sure."

"Thank you. I'm sure it will be something as well. But what about you? Aren't you a bit disappointed to stay behind, Eret?"

"No. Beside I have a wedding to prepare...Astrid, you know you're going against slavers. Let me tell you that some things might shock you."

"I already went into battle and saw horrible things."

"I know, I know. I'm not talking about bloodshed. I'm talking about broken people. You remember those Fury showed you? They had been taken care of, the ones you'll see will be in chains, even more scared and hopeless."

"...I know I have to expect something horrible. Aren't they scared when they see dragons and their riders for the first time?"

"They are, they're also confused. A lot think it's a trap when we tell them we want to free them: they think we only want to enslave them too. And you know what's sad? They don't even try to resist, because they're too broken for that."

A sad smile appeared on his lips, and his eyes got a bit lost as if he was more into the memory than in the present.

"One day, we had a rescue like another, we took back a ship of slaves, it went fine. When we broke their chains, they looked as I said: confused, wary, broken…They didn't look like they believed us. Yet one of them came toward me, asked me: _we're finally free, now?_ I said yes, and she gave me the most beautiful smile I ever saw. I remember those eyes full of hope and happiness. I wasn't expecting to see that right away in a slave."

"And that's how you fell in love with Kalisha?"

"It might have started there. I'm not sure when it happened exactly. But I remember I was even more stunned when I learned she had been a slave all her life. All that liveliness in her…I realized she had been submissive but she had never been truly broken, in spite of being a slave."

He stopped, a bit stunned by Astrid's thoughtful and melancholic expression. She gently said goodbye to him and Stormfly. Before he could ask her what was wrong, she was leaving. He started to feel worried for her. How would she handle everything? He returned home to his fiancee, trying to sooth his feelings. Astrid went back to her betrothed as well. Fury spent a lot of times teaching her how to ride dragons, and the rest of the day planning their attacks.

The day of the departure came as the winds were favorable. Astrid had her axe and a bow as well; she had done well during her training with Fury and she would be able to shoot arrows from the sky. She couldn't help but be amazed by this army of dragons in armors. Some ships would come with them to carry food and allow the riders and their dragons to travel without flying all the time. Astrid couldn't help but remember Berk's battle, with all those people attacking them during the night. Once again, she found Fury intimidating, with his leather attire and his Night Fury. She noticed there was more Razorwhips than usual. Her betrothed extended his hand to her. She took it and mounted behind him. Her Nadder came at her side; she had armor as well. Fishlegs came and wished Astrid a good battle; he had no dragon and wasn't part of the tribe, therefore he couldn't participate. Yet he would remain on Endris and try to learn more about dragons.

"If you wish to have a dragon, tell me once I return," Fury told the young man, surprising both Hooligan.

"Oh, that's very nice of you."

Fury just nodded and gave the signal of the departure. In a storm of wings and roars, the dragons went up in the air, ready for the fight.

 **O o O**

Their travel wasn't as long as Astrid first believed, two days and half before finding their target. They would alternate between resting on the boat and flying, until the scouts signaled the presence of Krogan. Fury instructed the boat to stay behind while they would attack, those weren't war boats.

"Do they have dragons with them?"

"They do, more than we expected. In fact they have better defense than usual."

"But they couldn't expect us…" Someone said. Astrid felt a bit nervous at those words, but she showed nothing. _Of course they did, Viggo made sure of that_.

"Let's get on your dragons and encircle the ships," Fury instructed. "They became more and more careful with time, and Krogan knows how to take precautions. Defend yourself against their dragons but try to save some as well. Don't wreck their ships, the slaves and maybe the riches are on those. We'll first attack from distance and once they'll be weakened, we got on board, we slaughter them and take everything!"

They all cheered at this, raising their weapons in the air. Fury called Heather and Camicazi to lead the charge with him and Astrid. They would go first, and only them. This was a surprising command, but no one contested the chief's order.

The four of them saw a dozen of boats, and they had indeed a lot of dragons. Only a few of them had a rider, which was at least one good thing. The descended toward them and the other warriors followed after a moment. The first nets appeared to catch the four of them. They dodged and they immediately saw the nets were thrown thanks to machines. Some were made of metals, some of ropes, and they were connected to the ship thanks to a chain or a simple rope, allowing their enemies to bring their captive on board. The riders behind them saw those before they could get in reach. They didn't expect such a defense; it would be harder than they thought.

"NETS! DESTROY THE NETS FIRST!"

The nets made of ropes wouldn't be such a big problem. His warriors were used to handle those. But the ones made of metal were a bigger challenge. Krogan's reptiles shot fire at them and their own dragons retaliated. A wave of arrows followed. "Shot the nets!" Yelled Fury. "Rescue anyone taken prisoner!" "Gronkles! Razorwhips! Break the metal nets! The others have to focus on archers and dragons!" Gronkle fire was the best against metal, and Razorwhips would slice those. With some hope, that would be enough. The Endrisians managed to encircle the ships; it was soon a storm of fire, arrows and metal.

The nets managed to catch some people, but the three leaders of the battle were prompt to rescue them. It was obvious that killing was far from being Fury's priority. He wanted to help his people; Astrid helped him to free the prisoners and break any net possible. Heather, Windshear and the other Razorwhips were the most efficient; their tails were a blessing in such a battle. Endrisians shot arrows as well; Astrid wasn't stable enough to do that yet.

Suddenly, Hiccup got an idea. He ordered Toothless to grip the net and called their one Skrill. He ordered the dragon to shot the machine which sent the projectile. The beast did with deadly precision. The men controlling the machine fell down like flies. Fury cheered at this, and Toothless and the Skrill formed a deadly duo. He made a signal to the Scauldron riders to send their dragons under water. The riders jumped on other dragons' backs and allowed their Scauldron to plunge.

The Night Fury made a sharp turn to attack another net, and it was harder to keep balance. Astrid decided to act: it was the perfect moment! She did as they planned. She leaned to the side (as if she was losing balance), let herself fall and gripped Fury in fake-panicked move. He yelped and Toothless shrieked. The three of them rushed toward the ocean and Astrid released her hold on Fury. Her fall stopped, her breath was suddenly cut and she felt some pain in her torso. She had been abruptly caught by big claws and she didn't need to look up to know it was Stormfly. She watched Fury's descent; he was about to hit the water when one of Krogan's dragons took him and brought him toward the enemy's ship. Toothless was caught by a net and fell in the water, struggling while warriors were pulling it back on the ship with their prize.

She started to climb on Stormfly, and her Nadder helped her to get on her back. Astrid realized it was the first time she was alone on a dragon. She looked down, Fury was still captive when the dragon holding him suddenly released his hold and struggled to fly, disoriented and clumsy. Heather was the first one to reach her chief who was now in the water, free but struggling to keep swimming among the waves. A net was thrown at her but her Razorwhip just sliced it in half with a whip of her tail and Fury caught her paw.

Hiccup didn't get on Windshear's back; he kept hanging on her paw, and drew out his sword. They rushed toward the rope which held Toothless's metal net. Arrows were shot at him, and he received one in the shoulder. He yelped, though his armor partially protected him, he felt pain and blood oozing. It didn't stop him yet. Blood and water dripped from him, he was surrounded by dragons fighting and flames and somehow he felt very alive. Ignoring the pain, he cut the rope and plunged in the water. The coldness of the water felt like a shock after the air charged with fire. Arrows were shot at him again and he felt once more some pain but in the hip this time. Although it was painful, he went on. Toothless had been caught back by one of their Scauldron. His lungs were already starting to burn from the lack of air. Hiccup just had the time to untangle the net from Toothless before the dragon abruptly caught him and swam up to the surface. Taking a deep breath, he saw the dragons from above, fighting fire against fire, a small Ragnarok of raging fire above the churning ocean. He got on Toothless's back immediately to get into that maelstrom once more.

"Continue to target the nets!" He yelled at the tops of his burning lungs. "Gronkles! Keep targeting the nets!"

While he yelled his commands, Belda had reached Astrid who was shooting arrows from Stormfly's back. She jumped from her Scauldron to Stormfly's back while her dragon plunged under water.

"Watch him! He is the best of them all!"

Astrid could see she wasn't boasting in vain. His exceeded the other Scauldron in speed; the warriors would hardly have time to react when he would suddenly appear. He would either spit boiling water in no time or catch them in his gigantic jaw to bring them down with him. Only a last scream could be heard by the men who were drown or devoured in the deep ocean. Belda helped Astrid to ride Stormfly closer to the boats. She did her best to keep balance and drew out another arrow while the Nadder flew toward the boats. Belda's Scauldron appeared once more, right beside the man. The man drew out his axe and the dragon turned his head a bit too late.

The man's blade fell down. The Scauldron shrieked. The man yelped as well. An arrow was planted in his chest. He tried to get back the weapon he had allowed to fall because of the shock, but the Scauldron boiled him alive.

"He almost killed my dragon!"

Astrid was about to say something when she yelped in pain. She gripped Stormfly tightly and looked down. An arrow was planted in her thigh and blood was leaking. _Thank the gods I'm not on foot. A wounded leg could be deadly_. Then she saw it: a net rushing toward them.

"STORMFLY, FIRE!"

The net was hit and fell down in flames.

"Let's get closer! If I can get on boat…"

"RETREAT! RETREAT!"

Fury's command was repeated again and again and surprised some warriors. The chief was dodging projectiles. Just as Viggo told Astrid, the man had been ordered to target him as much as possible. People called back their dragons, still firing to avoid being hit by a projectile. She saw Heather panting but obviously healthy. They flew away, their enemies didn't try to pursue them. Yet most of the Endrisians realized they had failed.

 **O o O**

Not letting their boats approach had been a wise decision. Those were untouched and it allowed the people to rest without having to search for a shelter. They had enough food and what was needed to heal the wounded. A lot of them said there was another spy who allowed Krogan to know they would attack. Some said Krogan had simply been careful, and his defenses hadn't been enough anyway. Thankfully the Endrisians had no loss but a good part of their warrior would have to go back on their island. Fury wouldn't. His wounds had been tended, those weren't really dangerous, though a bit painful. Astrid's leg was also taken care of, she was limping a bit but she could still walk. She walked slowly on the boat, looking for Fury, when she was suddenly caught by Heather: "What happened?!"

"What?"

"I saw how you and Fury fell, what did you do?"

"I…I lost balance and…I gripped him out of instinct."

"You lost balance! You can't be on a battle if you can't stay on your dragon's back!"

"She is certainly not the first one to fell," Belda countered, "and she also saved my dragon."

"Look, you're right, I did a mistake. I promise it won't happen again," she coldly answered.

"I hope so."

She allowed her to leave. Usually, she wouldn't have let someone talk to her that way, but this situation was different. Heather had her reasons. She smiled to Belda and left without a word. Astrid found her husband-to-be sitting by a fire, resting with other people: "How is your shoulder?"

"It's better. As for my hips, it's not a deep cut."

"You're lucky."

"I know. I have to speak to the rest of the tribe. After that, will you ride on Toothless with me? That way you'll perfect your riding skills."

She nodded. Fury gathered his people and spoke to them: "None of us were expecting so much defenses or dragons to fight. That's what made us loose. But we're still strong. They are weakened as well, they didn't even succeed to kill one of us! Do you know why is that? Because in contrary to them, who dominate through fear and enslavement of dragons and men, we fight as one! We fight together as a real tribe! We fight because we all want to! And sadly for Krogan, we aren't the kind to give up! And this time we know what to expect! We came here for something and we're going to get it! We'll break chains and slay our enemies in fire and blood!"

Cheers followed those words, discouragement lessened. Fury instructed them to rest so they would be ready soon. Once he was done, they both got on Toothless's back who was now well-rested. They flew up toward the sky, and carefully checked out that no one was around. Once they were sure no one could hear them, Astrid asked:

"So, what will happen now?"

"Well, their trap failed and I believe they have lost most of their nets. We'll have to prepare something else to get those slaves back. And I think I know how. I sent a message, we should have some help. If we win, and if I know Drago well, he might execute Krogan for his failure. And in the future, I might have a new card."

Astrid chuckled and murmured at his ear: "And being surrounded by all of you, I can't warn anyone that you'll soon retaliate, of course. Poor Viggo. After every lovely promise he made, I'm feeling almost guilty," she whispered at his ear.

Fury huffed in dark amusement.

"I must admit I don't feel so remorseful. No only he tried to corrupt you, but that fall earlier wasn't my most agreeable experience. Also, you swore on your honor, if I remember well?"

"I did. I don't like it, but there are more important things at stake than my honor."

He took her hand gently. "It will be worth it. We'll make it worth it."

They exchanged a smile while entering a big white cloud.

 **Here, Hiccup and Astrid are playing a dangerous game now. Also, I know Fishlegs didn't have a big role until now, but he'll have more importance soon. I hope you liked it, I hope I didn't make too many mistakes I didn't want to take too long to update.**


	14. Victories

**Chapter 14**

 **Victories**

 **Hi everyone! I had been a long time I know! Let's do a bit of summary:**

 **Viggo tried to make Astrid his spy yet she decided to work as a double agent for Fury instead. In order to make Viggo believe Astrid is loyal, Fury allows her to follow Viggo's order and make him fall from his dragon during an attack against Krogan, the slave-trader. Fury let Krogan win the first fight in order to fool Drago but plan another attack and called reinforcement to help.**

 **I advised you to take a look at the chapter 10, more exactly the moment when Fury show Fishlegs and Astrid the slaves and dragons rescued from Drago.**

If there was anything Krogan hated it was defeat; especially when he felt victory should have been easy. He had the advantage because he knew they were coming thanks to Viggo, they wouldn't be that numerous, and he knew they wouldn't wreck the ships because of the slaves inside. After the Endrisians' retreat, they had started healing the injured, but Krogan wouldn't waste much time letting them rest. He ordered scouts to search for them and waited for their return.

"Sir, what are we gonna do?" Asked one of his warriors.

"We have to find them; I can't go back without Fury."

"But sir, they probably left."

"Drago will not let us live if we get back without him."

"But many of us failed to catch him before, Drago didn't kill each person who failed," pointed out another warrior.

"Yeah, how is this time different?"

"This time is different because Viggo made it easy for us, you idiots! He warned us and he got that girl on our side! He told me she would make him fall on purpose, that was their plans, and obviously she did! We have no fucking excuse for that failure! So if some of you wanna die, they can tell me, and I'll make sure it will happen now!"

No one dared to talk back. Krogan hated to let his men know he was worried, but at least they now understood why they couldn't fail once more. The worst in that were the metal nets; they had lost most it during that battle. The ones made of ropes weren't as efficient, and even those were lacking now. He still had dragons though.

His scouts only came back in the morning, claiming they saw the Endrisians on a small island toward the East. Krogan couldn't help but feel enraged at this. Those fucking dragon lovers were merry somewhere on an island while they were struggling with the ressources on their boats! And how didn't he know about that island?! How the hell Fury knew the ocean better than he did?! Why did it seem like the Endrisian chief always had a card in his sleeve? Krogan had fought bigger and more experienced men, and none of them ever gave him as many problems as Fury.

"That demon…I'll have his head," he growled lowly. "Prepare for the next attack! We sail toward the East!"

This time, he would get them! It didn't matter to him what they would lose, how many of his men die, but he would would bring Fury back! He realized then that Endris was in the East as well. If Fury took that direction, it probably meant he planned to go back home. He was really retreating! It wasn't like him, though…Something was probably wrong with them. Good, whatever it was, it could only be a good thing for them.

It took them half a day to reach the island, but he saw the enemy's boats were still here. Now was his chance, he couldn't mess that up! They approached the boats and prepared themselves for an attack, still watching out for any dragon attack from the sky.

"Remember!" He yelled to his men: "Fury must be brought back alive to Drago! Anyone who kills him will be gutted!"

They were approaching, Krogan was pretty sure that this time they would win. They got closer and closer to the boats. As they got near, they suddenly saw dragons raising from the boats and flying toward them.

"Arrows! Shoot nets at Fury only!"

The dragons flew up and then down. While Krogan was about to shoot another arrow, he stopped and grabbed his sword when he understood what they were about to do. The Endrisians jumped on board and ran toward the warriors while their dragons fought against the other dragons in the air. Only Toothless was on the boat with humans, already starting a massacre among the enemies. Fury sliced a man's neck and hit another with his shield before killing him. Another man attacked him but the chief dodged his blow and gutted him. Fury let out an enraged yell before throwing himself at his enemies. Once again, he personified his name; swift and merciless, roaring and hitting with metal and flames, his slender frame didn't matter anymore. He was a force to be reckoned with.

Astrid was also yelling while slicing with her axe. Belda and Heather were at her side, forming a deadly trio while the dragons above were still fighting in storms of scales, fangs, claws and fire. Astrid felt incredibly alive, she was attacking with almost no fear, she was starting go Berserk now! She planted her axe in the skull of a man who tried to stab Belda and disarmed a woman who carried a spear right after. She killed her with a clean blow in the chest.

Yells were heard on some boats and Krogan saw men in the sky, and it seemed like they were floating…Oh no!

"Incoming!"

Acid was thrown at the enemies. The changewings revealed themselves and the reinforcement attacked the enemies with arrows, blades and acid.

Fury smirked at this sight. He had called for a special reinforcement and they came at the right time! Heading closer to Endris had been part of his plan. He had called for Changewing riders, they were fast and very stealthy. He knew Krogan wouldn't expect this. He gave a signal to Heather and Camicazi. Now that the Changewings were here to help with attack, they would start with next step: getting the slaves out. Camicazi would do exactly the same but on another boat and gave herself the signal to other warrior who had been charged to make the slaves escape as well.

Heather got his signal and she told Astrid and Belda to go in with her. Other warriors covered them while they forced the trap door of the boat. It didn't take long for them to find where the slaves were kept. Astrid felt a cold wave of shock spread through her. Dozens of people were cramped together in a few dark cells; they were dressed in rags, dirty and trembling out of cold and fear. Heather broke one first lock and opened the door:

"Stand up, we'll free you from that place!" Then, she turned to Astrid: "Escort them outside! You have to bring them on our boats!"

Astrid followed Heather's order and took one first group of slaves outside. None of them discussed when she told them to follow her. One little girl was stumbling, hardly able to walk. Without hesitation, Astrid took her against her chest, supporting her with one arm while holding her axe with the other. The little girl, a small red-head hardly older than six, looked at her with wariness.

"Don't worry, I'll protect you."

Belda got her back while Heather was gathering other slaves inside. Warriors got in formation around the slaves, helping Astrid and Belda to protect them while they were leading the slaves toward the Endrisians boats. One man rushed toward Astrid, sword ready to strike; The little girl screamed in fear and buried her face in Astrid's neck while her little arms gripped her tightly. The shieldmaiden blocked the man's blow and kicked him hard the crotch before thrusting her axe in his head. She fought another enemy before getting to the boats. The little girl was crying in her arms. She crossed the planks which the Endrisians had forcefully put between the ships and put the little girl down. The child refused to let go at first.

"Kid, I need to go back to fight."

The little girl shook her head. One of the sailor took her away from Astrid. She helped the group of slaves to get on board, protecting them from anyone who would try to stop them from escaping.

Krogan saw what they were doing. He was expecting it, typical Endrisian tactic. He took one spear and charged at that blond woman who previously had a child in her arms. She had her back at him, she didn't see him, he could get her…Pain invaded him and he found himself stumbling to the side. A metallic shield had been crushed against his side. Fury was standing here, obviously furious. Krogan hardly had time to parry the next attack. His hands and arms were slightly burned by the sword's flames, it was starting to be hard to keep hold of his own weapon. He tried to disarm him, he couldn't kill him, he had to disarm him and take him hostage! That would make the Endrisian retreat, it could fix everything! He attacked Fury's side, intending to make him stumble, but the young man dodged easily and slammed down his weapon. Krogan screamed in pain as Fury's sword cut through his shoulder. The man released his sword under the pain. Soon enough, his head was rolling down.

Was it the death of their leader, or the arrival of the new riders, but the enemies retreated on the last boat they could get (which had been emptied of any slave), and a few of them flew away on their dragons. This time, the Endrisians had lost some warriors and dragons, though not as much as their enemies. However, the enemies boats which hdn't been sunk were taken by the dragon riders and every riches they could find in those as well. The chief had his warriors gather the slaves on his very own boats. Astrid helped the chained people to gather, and she saw that almost none of them dared to look at her in the eyes. They had their head hung down in submission, as if they were prepared to any blow coming toward them. Some had more hopeful look. She even heard one of them whisper something about dragon riders who would save them.

Once they were gathered, Fury landed before the chained people, mounted on his Night Fury. Most of them looked scared or resigned, but some looked hopeful. They had heard of that dragon-riding tribe.

"You stand here before us, the Endrisians, the dragon-riders the breakers of chains. We're not here to sell you for ourselves. We're not here to force you into submission. We're here to bring down those enslavers, those who put bonds on you and thousands of people, we're here to make sure that no tribe will ever mark anyone as a slave anymore! We're here to break your chains!"

With that, his soldiers broke and started to open the chains of the slaves.

"We can fight, and you can join us. You are now free to choose your life. You can go free to another island, or you can join us and fight at your side!"

A wave of acclaim followed those words, from Endrisians and also from some slaves. Astrid looked at her future husband. She had to admit there was something about him. A tug on her hand got her out of her thoughts. She saw the little red-head looking at her. She smiled to her and took her in her arms again.

 **O o O**

Their return was triumphal to say the least. They had returned with more boats, they had rescued slaves and even dragons, and got weapons and gold. And they had Krogan's head on a shaft. The way the people of Endris acclaimed and greeted Fury like no one ever did with Spitelout or even Stoick. And Stoick was a great chief. Even the dragons were roaring. However, in all of that, one voice raised to yell Astrid's name. She recognized Fishlegs's voice immediately. The little red-head was holding her hand, she told her to follow her. She found Fish and hugged him with affection:

"Hey, Fish!"

"So, how was it?! A battle on dragon's back! It must have been great! Who is that?"

"This is my new friend. She doesn't speak for now. Wave to Fishlegs."

The little girl waved shyly to him. They left the harbor together, leaving Fury with his people. She was happy to see Kalisha coming toward them:

"Astrid! I'm happy you returned safe!"

"I'm happy to see you, Kalisha, you look much better."

"I am! It's a good thing, there is hardly time to rest anymore, after all! Chief Mala will come soon to visit."

"Oh, I forgot about that…Kalisha, would you mind looking after that little one? I have to speak with Fishlegs. Don't be surprised if she doesn't speak."

The young woman accepted and even though the little girl was unwilling to leave Astrid, the blond girl reassured her and left her with her friend. Once she was alone with Fishlegs, she told him what happened exactly and, assuring themselves that they couldn't be heard, he whispered:

"So, the fall was believable enough?"

"Seems so."

She had told him of course, although Fury hadn't been really sure of that, she had assured him that Fishlegs was entirely trustworthy. Surprisingly, it wasn't that hard to convince Fury of it. She had charged her friend to watch out for any suspect activity, he promised to do that along with Eret. They went toward the dragon arena where Stormfly reunited with some dragons. Under the roars and shrieks, they could speak with more ease.

"Fury will probably ask you to visit us home. He'll want to know if you noticed anything."

"I didn't notice much to be honest. Oh, but there is something I must tell you!"

"What?"

"You remember when Fury showed us the slaves and the dragons who got broken, right?"

"I'm not about to forget."

"There was a Gronkle with a lot of whip marks. Well, Eret allowed me to visit her and she likes me already! If Fury allows it, she could be my dragon."

"Seriously! That's great!"

"Isn't it! I don't know what I should do, then, will I be allowed to bring her back to Berk, I don't know, but it would definitely be worth the try."

He was about to ask herto come and see the beats, but someone called them. They would celebrate the victory in the Great Hall and Fury's fiancée had to be there, and Fishlegs as well, given his guest status. There was a lot of wine and beer. Astrid spent most of her time with Fishlegs, Heather, and the friends she made around the well: Belda, Wollmi, Cryda, Vami, Llewellyn, and Kalisha. She escorted Fishlegs home, her friend had never been good to hold alcohol.

The next morning, the boy had sobered and came to visit Astrid. Not having the slightest regard for her tiredness, he just let her splash water on her face before pulling her along with him to go see his dragon. He led her to the arena.

"Look, here she is!"

He showed her a Gronkle who was munching on rocks. The beast still had scars, but she waived her short tail at the sight of Fishlegs. He stroked the dragon and Astrid really had the impression to see one big affectionate dog. It wasn't as if she wasn't getting used to it, she had seen many people and dragons interacting like that, but this was Fishlegs! A month ago, the boy was hunting dragons along with her! Heather arrived with Windshear and she seemed really pleased to see that Fishlegs got a dragon.

"You already seem to get along," she commented.

"Yeah, she is great, really! She demands a lot of affection, probably because of what they did to her."

Heather smiled softly to him, her eyes shinned and Fishlegs blushed. A short silence passed, the Hooligan boy and the dark-haired girl looking at each other fondly.

"I'm sure you're the perfect person to take care of her."

Feeling that she was suddenly an intruder, Astrid excused herself, saying she had to take care of Stormfly after such a long trip. She left the arena with Stormfly to search for a stick. She soon saw Fishlegs and Heather leaving as well, going toward the woods with their dragons. A grin appeared on her face. For once, it seemed that she would be the one asking Fishlegs many questions. She heard a little shriek behind her: Stormfly wanted attention. Throwing a big stick as far as possible, the girl laughed as the Nadder ran after it crazily.

While Stormfly was catching it back, Astrid heard footsteps behind her. She turned round to see Camicazi. She gave her a quizzical look, she was maybe the last person she expected to see.

"Hey."

They hadn't spoken to each other since the girl accused her of whining and spitting on their chief's face. Sure, Camicazi had been there during the expedition, but they hadn't interacted at all. Astrid wasn't feeling boiling anger toward her anymore, but that didn't mean she wanted to speak with the Bog-Burglar. The girl just looked at her, saying nothing, as if she hesitated.

"Want something or did you simply plan to creep on me?"

"Well…First, I wanted to say that I heard of what you'd done. Saving Kalisha."

"And?"

Stormfly came back with the stick and Astrid threw it once more. Cami looked at her; the Hooligan didn't even seem to care about her presence.

"How did you do it? I kept wondering that"

"Well, I whined until their ears bled out."

"Very funny," Cami huffed, half-amused, half-annoyed.

Astrid gave no answer. She was still watching the dragon who searched for the stick, when the Bog-Burglar spoke again.

"I don't get it, you have been able to fight the three of them! I did spare with two of those guys in the past and they were very good. How is it you could handle the three of them, but not me alone?"

"Because I was fighting for someone else. I was blind with anger when I fought you."

This was probably not the only difference, but it had been the main one. Seeing the dragon got the stick and was playing with it, she decided to call her back:

"Stormfly! Come here! Bring it back!"

The Nadder looked at her questioningly, and she repeated herself. This time, the dragon went to her and dropped the stick while happily waving her tail.

"That's a good girl!"

"Are you ignoring me?"

"No, if you want to talk to me, go ahead, otherwise I'll take care of my dragon just as I planned."

Astrid scratched her under the jaw and the beast just rolled down on her back. The girl looked aside and just mumbled:

"I wanted to thank you."

"What?"

"I wanted to thank you, for saving her."

"Oh."

That conversation was already unexpected, and those words…She wouldn't have thought she would hear something like that from the Bog-Burglar's mouth. She continued to pet Stormfly and found herself out of words. It seemed that Cami was pretty much in the same state.

"I didn't know you were close to her," Astrid eventually declared.

"I'm not, but I know her through Eret and I quite like her. She had a grudge on me I think, after what happened with you. Actually, most of my friends had."

"I know."

Camicazi bit her lips, the Hooligan wasn't helping her much. Yet, she had to do this.

"I was a Bog-Burglar, I still am somehow. When I was captured, my mother got killed, she tried to protect me. I was on the ship…And I was desperate. But then, they came: Fury, Heather and Eret. They freed me, and I was given the choice between returning toward my tribe, or following them. I choose to follow them, and I accepted Fury as my new chief. Their cause was noble and I felt loyal. But the thing is, Borg-Burglar aren't supposed to pledge to men, or only when they are exceptional."

She sighed, Astrid remained silent, those words reminded her of what Belda said to her, maybe that was the reason why she listened.

"I was often mocked for that, each time someone was learning about my origins, I was taunted about it, they would say I got leashed by a runt…Each time someone would say that, I would beat the hell out of them. But there isn't only that. He is my friend, and I hate whenever someone attack one of my friends. I know his reasons, and maybe I forgot you also had very good reasons to be angry."

"And Hillevi? It's the same with her?"

"She loves him, I don't know what kind of love it is, and maybe she doesn't know either. She lived a life of slavery and she didn't tell me what happened to her, but I don't think it was merry…So she is now among the people who are loyal to a fault."

"I see." She still wasn't feeling very forgiving for Hillevi, what she went through didn't justify her words. At least Camicazi apologized, she had to give her that.

"So protecting someone made you stronger, that's what you mean?"

"It's one of the biggest motivations I can find. Yet I don't need someone to protect to be strong. Want to test that?"

Both girls stood up and got into fighting stances. Throwing the first blow, Astrid hit Cami's axe and kicked her side. Swift and strong blows were exchanged, Cami managed to punch Astrid but the girl retaliated with an elbow in the girl's jaw. A hard slap on Cami's throat followed. The girl chocked and Astrid sent her axe at her. The Bog-Burglar parried right in time and a new serie of blow went on. Astrid wouldn't leave her opponent any room to catch up her breath. She was getting slower, the Bog-Burglar tried to kick her but Astrid blocked and threw herself at her for another punch. The girl avoided but the Hooligan gave her a kick at the back of her legs. She took Cami out of balance and with another strong kick she sent her to the ground. One last kick in her axe to disarm her and this time, the Bog-Burglar was on the ground, bruised and panting. Astrid had a smug smile while looking at her on the ground. The Bog-Burglar rolled her head but grinned nonetheless:

"Yeah, quit that smile. From now on, we're sparing together, and I won't make it easy for you."

"Yeah, as if you had been holding back!"

"Totally!" Cami said jokingly.

Astrid laughed and helped her off the ground. They were entirely alone and Cami whispered: "You have to meet someone, don't you?"

She just nodded in response. She didn't know that Fury told her as well, but it made sense since she was still one of his closest counselors. She went to find Viggo at sunset, he was waiting for her, obviously not happy.

"What happened?" Asked he right away.

"On the battlefield? Fury managed to get away."

"How is that?!"

"Hey, don't start to play angry with me! I made him fall, and he got caught, if your men couldn't keep him, it's their fault!"

His expression softened a bit: "Alright, alright; what happened exactly?"

She explained him how he was caught by a dragon but used a technique to make the beast release him. Viggo couldn't help but be impressed by his adversary. Fury always had that ability to adapt to situation and was resourceful enough to get rid of hardships.

"You didn't try to make him go down during the second battle?"

"No, some people were already suspicious. Another 'error' from and they would have known."

"That wasn't a reproach. It was the best thing to do indeed. Too bad for Krogan…You know, I'm interested to know more about that technique he used to make the dragon release him."

"He told me it was about pressuring something, but no more."

"I would need to know more about that. I guess there won't be many military operation after that?"

"No, I don't think so. I'll check out, though."

"Then you'll try to know more about the way they train dragon."

"Sorry if I'm curious, but why is it important? You ride dragons too, don't you?"

"We don't have many dragon riders actually. And, I have to admit, we do lack some skills. When we don't break them, they revolt. When we do, they obey but a lot of them just weaken."

"What do you mean?"

"They hardly eat, they get sick…Fury has healthy and obedient dragons. I want to know how. I don't see how he can handle those fire-breathing beasts without violence, yet I guess he does."

"I'll get you answers. When do I have to met you again?"

"In two days. You can't go to me every evening, it would be suspect. I have something to prepare anyway. Astrid, I want you to know how much this matters. Fury is putting the lives of many tribes on balance, who knows how many of them could be ruined. If you can help us avoid that, you'll be a hero."

Astrid nodded with an emotional look. Her act was good, but she was boiling inside. The man was really a manipulator! The tribes who would get ruined! And what about the tribes and lives _they_ ruined by taking people away to serve as slaves?! What about those children she saw in that hut, who couldn't even approach an adult because they were given to some messed up people? Anyway, she had no need of him to get her freedom back. In fact, she didn't really feel like a prisoner anymore.

That evening, when she and Fury where alone in the house, she summed up what was told between them. He listened with attention, though he was once more furious to think Viggo approached her. To tell the truth, when Astrid first told him that Viggo had suggested her to be his spy, Hiccup's first want had been very simple: kill the man in the most painful way possible. Since Astrid could lead him toward him, it would have been simple. Yet another idea had soon came into his mind: making Astrid his own spy. She had accepted immediately and even revealed him that she had the same thought.

"So, what do I tell Viggo next? He wants new infos, about dragons that time."

"Why is that?"

"Apparently their army is struggling to keep dragons and ride them. They can't do anything without violence but obviously violence doesn't give healthy enough dragons."

"Uh! Wonder why! But well…It could really be a bet for Viggo…Maybe you could tell him about the secret room. The one I showed in the library."

She remembered, when he showed her the collection of books they kept in the village, he had told her about that room which was locked away from prying eyes.

"I remember. It contains only books about dragons?"

"Yes, our secrets about the way we raise those and all."

"Are you really sure you want him to know about that?"

"I don't really like it but we have to give him something to chew, we'll make sure its guarded, maybe we'll move the books away in secret. That way even if he gets in, he'll find nothing. I want him to focus on that, he can't discover what I'm working on."

"What is it?"

"I'll show you."

They went out and got on their dragons' back. Lady actually followed them, playfully teasing Toothless while they were flying under the moonlight. Her mate returned the gesture; it didn't seem to bother Fury much. They landed in the forest where fireflies illuminated a small clearing. Fury made a soft call and Astrid's jaw dropped when she saw what was before them. A Timberjack and a Typhoomerang came toward them but didn't get close.

"We don't have any of those dragons in our ranks. With their abilities, they could really be a great help. Timberjack's wing cut through wood easily, it would help us drown enemy's ship in an instant. As for the Typhoomerang, well, we could use a fire tornado."

Both dragons were really huge, Fury advanced slowly and showed his hand. The two beasts sniffed it but didn't approach any further. Once again, she couldn't help but be impressed by his ability to interact with wild beasts who could have killed him in a blink. He gently spoke to them and she just watched in the distance; She would probably have scared them both. Lady and Toothless weren't approaching either, and Astrid went to the female black dragon. She extended her hand. At first, Lady just recoiled but decided to sniff it. Astrid felt touched by that. She remembered what Hiccup told her about that dragon, how she got captured and abused by Drago. The fact she allowed that contact meant a lot.

She looked again at Fury, the two dragons were still before him, approaching shyly. He continued to make gestures and speak to them, and the beasts allowed him to get closer. She couldn't help but hold her breath when she saw him put his hand on the Timberjack's snout. Toothless was on guard, ready to attack if any of the two dragons tried to hurt his friend. The Typhoomerang was a bit shier but he sniffed the human's hand.

Both left quickly afterward. Toothless relaxed and went to his rider who sat on a rock, looking suddenly tired. His posture had something melancholic. Astrid wondered why her future husband's attitude suddenly changed. She was subject to mood swing herself at times, but she still wondered what was wrong…She approached, sat beside him and saw he was looking at some little feathers on the ground, enlightened by a small group of fireflies. She raised an eyebrow and looked at him questionningly.

"I'm sorry; I often have moments like this after expeditions such as this one. The slaves we rescued…I can never really get used to that, you know? Seeing them broken and scared…I don't know if you ever heard the story of Baral and the feather?"

She had heard the story already indeed, yet she didn't say it, maybe because she was too curious to know what he meant.

"After a terrible war to save his tribe, a young warrior named Baral is lying in a field, wounded and pretty sure he is going to die. He can look at nothing but the blue sky above him, and then he sees a little feather carried by the wind and he looks at it...Then he prays to it: 'Fly little feather, and become my wings.' He deplores not having more strenght, more brothers to save him; he says that if he had that, he wouldn't be dying in that field. Then he prays once more to the little feather to become his wings. And it does happen thank to the gods, he has wings, his wounds heal and he can lead his tribe to victory."

In spite of the happy ending, it sounded way sadder in his mouth. She still listened, feeling the slight tremor in his voice.

"I felt exactly like then at a time, as if I was so weak and so helpless that I could do nothing but lay and pray to the smallest things to help me. I know how you feel when it seems like they'll never escape and can only beg for help. The gods did help me, because they had sent me Toothless, but it's not everyone who got that chance."

"Some did. Thanks to you. You were that feather to them."

He chuckled: "Do you say that because of my lightweight?"

She chuckled and punched him playfully on the shoulder. They looked at the fireflies, those were flying peacefully across the clearing.

"I…I thought of showing you my face. I mean, I know I can trust you."

"It's better if you don't. At least, not until we're over with Drago and all, because if I get captured or something, it's better if I don't know anything about your true identity."

He took her hand and gave it a light squeeze.

"I won't let you get captured."

"We have to consider that possibility. But can you tell me why it would be so wrong if Drago saw your face?"

"I wouldn't want him to know who I am and to attack my native tribe."

She understood. She didn't want Berk to get involved in anything either. She thought of her sister and mother, of her friends. She wouldn't want them to be hurt either. Giving a light squeeze to Fury's hand, she leaned a bit against him while watching the little lights dancing around.

 **The story of Baral actually come from a Russian song 'Fly Little Feather'. Give it a try if you have time. Next chapter, Mala will appear! I'm actually impatient to introduce her.**


	15. Plans and Celebrations

**Chapter 15**

 **Plans and Celebrations**

 **Hi everybody! I'm back with a new chapter! I advise you to read the little memo right below, since it takes time for me to update, you might have forgotten some of those elements.**

 **In chapter 7, spies were caught and one of them spoke about Drago preparing a new attack with a secret weapon. Also, in chapter 9, Astrid meet some women who became their friends, and I'd rather remind you their name: Vami, Wollmi, Llewellyn, Cryda and of course Belda, who are Heather and Kalisha's friends as well. And Astrid is still helping with the training of the future warriors of Endris along with Belda, Heather and Fishlegs.**

 **O o O**

A major change happened for both Astrid and Fury after the victory against Krogan: a new guest was in their home. The little red-head Astrid saved was still following her around and when they had tried to find her some people to take care of her, she had clutched to Astrid badly. She seemed intimidated by Fury, but she was willing to tolerate him.

"We could keep her for some times if you're willing to take care of her," Fury had suggested. "When she'll be less scared, you could still give her to a new family if that's your wish."

Astrid had accepted. She had taken care of her little sister in the past, she could watch that kid for some times. At least she couldn't say that the girl was difficult, not only she couldn't speak, but she would obey nicely. Yet that was maybe not such a good thing, as it was probably the result of previous mistreatment. The child had scars on her back; Astrid had seen that the first time she gave the kid a bath. It made her even angrier when she thought of Viggo telling her that they should go on with slavery.

She had asked the other slaves what the kid's name was, but they explained she had been born in slavery and that on the island they came from, slaves had no names. She had lost her mother, she had simply been taken care of by the adults slaves around along with other children. No name, no mother…No wonder why the little girl was clutching to her.

One morning, she woke up to find Fury waiting for her at the table. The red-head was still sleeping. "You have to meet Viggo again if I presume?"

"Yeah, during sunset, as usual."

She had met the man again, as he wished, and she had told him about the library, just as Astrid asked. She hoped Fury knew what he was doing.

"He'll just want me to report things, I guess."

"Well, you'll have to tell him that chief Mala is visiting."

"Oh, I almost forgot that!"

"It's okay. She'll be here for the annual Autumn's feast and for Eret's marriage as well. There will be a lot of celebration going on soon, we'll have to be even more careful."

They prepared together what she would tell Viggo before leaving to go to the dragon arena. They took the little girl with them, although the kid was still shy around dragons. Heather and Fishlegs were here as well. Fury had allowed the Hooligan boy to keep the Gronkle and Astrid had been surprised by the way Fury had smiled. It wasn't just a polite smile, but a genuine one, as if he had been truly touched that Fishlegs wanted a dragon. But now, maybe it was simply because he was happy to see people understanding his love for those animals.

The four of them flew together, Fury and Heather could do complicated figures while the Hooligans were just happy to keep balance.

"Do you think they are trying to impress us by doing that?" Asked she to Fishlegs while flying at his side.

"Heather doesn't need to do anything…"

His face turned red and Astrid laughed: "I guess you're already very impressed with her."

"Come on, Don't tease. Meatlug doesn't tease me," he murmured while looking at his Gronkle.

"That's why I have to do it for her," Astrid joked again.

After the training, she went to the well where her friends would gather, she would do that almost every morning. Fury left her to attend to his chief duty and Fishlegs went to do some daily chores. Sometimes, Stormfly would come along with her or she would fly alone. The little red-head would come with her and play below the well along with Cryda and Vami's children who would stay close enough for their mother to watch them. Since Kalisha's attack by three spies, people were way more careful with their kids, and would be more hesitant to let them roam freely around. In another tribe, children might have bullied a mute girl, but on this island, a child rendered silent because of a trauma wasn't an uncommon thing, and therefore Vami and Cryda's kids didn't mind much.

"Cryda, I was wondering if you could make the girl a dress for Eret and Kalisha's wedding, and maybe some other things" Astrid asked the older woman. "We had been given a few clothes for her, but she doesn't have much and more of all, she has nothing for a feast."

"I can do that," replied the seamstress. "I have a lot of work lately, but my daughter is able to help me a bit more now, and I have a new apprentice as well."

"You still didn't give her a name?" Asked Kalisha. "You should, we can't call her girl all the time."

"I'm not her mother, I can't name her."

"You take care of her. You're her mother a little," Llewelyn clumsily declared, still a bit clumsy with Norse language.

"Yeah, I thought you had adopted her already," Wollmi pointed out.

"No. We're keeping her for now…I don't know if I…"

She interrupted her and looked at the red-head who was running around with the kids. Adopting her? She had first thought of giving her temporary shelter…

When she went to train the kids with Belda and Fishlegs, she left the little red-head with Kalisha. Although the young woman still had to prepare a few things for her wedding which would take place in some days, she didn't mind having the little girl around.

"Most of them have good basis now," commented Belda while going to the training grounds. "They would need to practice outside of the training ground from time to time, maybe in the forest, you know?"

"That's would be good, indeed, it would teach them to adapt to different environment."

The training started as usual, until Astrid had the surprise to see Kalisha rushing in the arena. Then she realized she was actually following the little red-head. Belda also interrupted herself when she saw the girl and the woman coming in.

"I'm sorry, I called her to come back but she wouldn't. Little girl, you must not run away like that!"

She said that while taking her gently by the shoulders and the kid just lowered her head. Astrid went to her friend and the girl hugged her when she saw her. The blond huffed in amusement: "It's alright, Kalisha…Maybe I could actually keep her with me, now that I think about it."

"You sure?"

"Yes."

"Alright then, I'll go back home, I have to take care of the animals. Don't hesitate if you need me again."

She deposed a kiss on the little girl's forehead and left. The child waved shyly at her. She seemed to like Kalisha, but she obviously wanted to be with Astrid. The blond woman kneeled to be at her level.

"Do you know what we are doing here? That's where we train the beginners to fight. There are weapons which are especially made for the training, those can't really hurt anyone."

The child looked at the other kids fighting, still silent but Astrid could see this sight was interesting her. She gently grabbed her shoulders to have the girl looked at her.

"Do you want me to train you to be a warrior? I could help you become strong, fierce, you could defend yourself and your loved ones. Now you won't have to live like a warrior if that's not your wish, but even a peaceful farmer girl has to defend herself at times. So, do you want me to train you?"

The girl nodded, she was intimidated obviously but it could be worth a try. The warrior smiled at her and spoke again: "Good. But first you need a name, Kalisha is right; we can't call you 'girl' all the time…I could suggest you one."

Once again, the child nodded but with more enthusiasm that time. Astrid looked at her and wondered. A little girl would want a pretty name, yet that wasn't the most important. Astrid wanted a name which would make her feel strong.

"Rona. Your name could be Rona."

 _Mighty Power_. That name wasn't ugly at all and more importantly, it would remind the girl she wouldn't be a victim anymore.

"This is the name for fighting. It sounds like 'roar'. Do you want it?"

The red-head nodded and grinned slightly.

"Rona, then. Stand up, you will choose your first weapon, I will teach you how to use several of those, and with time you'll choose which one you'll favorite."

The girl did as she was told and Astrid gave her the choice between a small spear and a small axe. She was satisfied when she saw the girl taking the axe. It was really not a heavy one, nothing in fact compared to what Astrid was fighting with, but for a girl of her age, it would be good enough. She also gave her a light training shield.

"Come with me, I'll train you along with the others. Most of them will be bigger than you, taller as well. But that's for the best. Learn one important thing, Rona: there is no merit beating someone smaller or weaker. The greatest victory you can obtain is by beating someone mightier, and you'll become a good warrior by sparing against bigger partners. Second lesson I have to teach you: straighten your stance!"

She put a hand over the girl's back which was slightly hunched and also raised her chin a bit.

"A warrior stands straight. Look right ahead of you, don't fear people's stare. The nameless slave did that, but you're not a nameless slave anymore."

The training was finished after a few hours, Astrid was pretty satisfied with it. Rona was still not speaking she was smiling and sprinting around. Although she had been a bit afraid of the others at first, she had grown more confident on the end. She mostly learned some moves and stances, the few blows she exchanged with other kids had been merely practice and not actual spare.

She suddenly realized it would be sunset soon. Viggo!

She found Heather and asked her to keep Rona for a bit. "You have to…"

Astrid only nodded. Heather kept the child indeed and the blond rushed toward the forest. She allowed Stormfly to follow her, it wasn't as if her dragon could be threatened by one man alone. She found him standing under a tree, vigilant as always.

"Good evening," he said gallantly.

"Good evening. So? I guess you didn't manage to enter the library?"

"No. It's guarded, it will take some preparation to do what I want."

"And what is it you wanna do?"

"I don't want to just get in and read a few lines before sneaking away. I want to steal everything that is in there."

This made her eyes widen slightly: "That's pretty bold! It won't be easy to take books away and transport them without being noticed."

"I'm aware of that. But Drago will send some help. Yet I will need someone from the inside to help me, it will be absolutely vital."

"What will I have to do?"

"You'll have to open the path and create a distraction. And more importantly, you have to get the key."

She nodded at that. "I know dragons are important in that war, but…Can't you do something else? Like planning a surprise attack, or something?"

"You're too impatient; my brother can be like that too. But Drago is preparing something, and something we need could be in those books."

"What?"

He didn't answer immediately. "I'd rather not tell you too much. It's risky, you'll understand everything at the right moment, though, I can assure you that."

"Alright. It will be difficult for me to go see you, though. There will be some celebration. Also, another chief is coming to visit."

"I know, Mala is her name, right?"

She nodded, not even asking how he knew that already. They didn't stay together for long, there was always a risk to be surprised by someone. Astrid went toward the Great Hall and saw Heather talking with Camicazi while Rona was playing near them.

"Thanks for watching over her." Then she turned to the red-head: "Rona! Come in the Great Hall!"

The girl went in obediently and Astrid led her to the tables where children and teenager would eat. "Stay with them for now, I'm eating with our chief. You'll come back to me when you're done." Seeing the girl didn't want to stay here, she insisted: "You need to eat with the other kids, you can't spend all your time with me. That's how you and make friend and become part of this island, do you understand?"

The girl nodded and Astrid gave her a little proud smile. Once at the table with Fury, she told him what happened today. She had rescued the child a few days ago, and it was strange to think she would adopt her. Yet she was starting to feel attached to the child, the way she seemed so happy around her, and how she was slowly getting out of her shell…Anyway a decision had to be taken, they couldn't wait forever to decide what would become of her. At this, Fury seemed thoughtful through his mask. "Do you want to keep her?"

"Hum, I think I would like that. But what about you? Once we'll marry, she'll be your daughter as well."

"I know. She could never be my heiress, but she could be my daughter indeed. I'll have children one day, I know it, because I'm a chief and because I want some. So I could take that one, I have enough good to raise her, and I wouldn't be alone. And she is pretty cute, even if she as a bit scared of me. How did you say you named her?"

"Rona."

"That's a fine name."

To tell the truth, Hiccup was a bit scared to take that child, a part of him wanted to be alone with Astrid. Anyway he wouldn't have been able to refuse to give that girl home, and how could he pretend to ever be a father if he couldn't take care of one child? Eret arrived along with Heather and Camicazi as the dishes were served.

"My _Tann_ , I got a letter from Mala this afternoon," the man said while sitting at the chief's side. "She should be there in two days, she said she would be happy to attend my marriage as well."

"That's good, I must say this is no surprise."

Hiccup liked Mala, although at first she had been against the dragon training thing, they had came along when she realized that dragons were well-treated by the tribe. At times, Hiccup had relied on her advices, as she was more experienced than he was. She was also making him feel like his tribe was less alone, because they weren't the only ones respecting dragons. He kinda hoped she would like Astrid.

 **O o O**

When he was at home with his fiancée and Rona into her bed, Astrid told him about Viggo's plan. That was dangerous, but it could also be an opportunity…

"Okay…You'll tell him that I'm very careful with the key and that it will take time for you to get it. I think I know what I want to do. In the meantime, try to get as much information possible while you can."

"I don't think I did much."

"You did. I suspected the kind of problems they could encounter with dragons and you confirmed it. Also, he told you once how tribes who sell slaves are getting more and more out of money. That's important: Drago is losing his biggest support, and with one of his best slave trader away, things will hardly get better. More of all, he told you Drago had a plan."

"Yeah, he said he could need something from those books."

Fury shifted closer to her.

"You remember when you left Berk, I wasn't with you and I explained you that urgent matters had called me back."

"Yeah, I remember that."

"Well, spies had been caught. One of them told us that Drago planned to use a special weapon. Now, with what you told me, that weapon could be a dragon, a peculiar one."

"That's why he would need your books, he doesn't know how to use that dragon well," she summed up.

"I don't want you to ask too many questions though, it could be dangerous, but if we could know what his next plan is, it could really give us a great advantage"

Yeah, that was a good thing, except he was even more scared to see Astrid on the front line. If Viggo had any doubt… "Always take Stormfly with you, please. I would be much more reassured to know she is with you."

It was somehow frustrating to know he couldn't be there to protect her in case of danger. He knew, oh he knew very well that Astrid was able to defend herself. Yet, even if she had been strong enough to bring all Helheim down, he would still worry about her.

 **O o O**

Mala and the people with her arrived the very day of the autumn feast. The whole town was in a frenzy, not only because they had guests, but because this would be a big party, with meat on the menu. Usually, people would keep fishes and meat for the dragons mostly, so it was exceptional to have so much flesh in their plates. The boats arrived in the morning. Hiccup was happy to see Mala was still doing well in spite of the war. She was also freeing slaves and dragons and she also had to defend herself against Drago's attacks.

"Your city still looks amazing," Mala complimented while shaking Fury's hand in friendship. "I'm happy to see you, my friend."

"So am I, Mala. And I'm honored to introduce you to my betrothed, Astrid Hofferson from Berk."

Astrid shook Mala's hand, a bit surprised at her aspect. She didn't look like an usual Viking chief, in fact she didn't look like a Viking woman. But she still looked like a warrior queen, which was the most important. They exchanged polite words while going to the village and Mala admired the dragons around, the Night Furies in particular. She had always been fond of Toothless and Lady and it seemed reciprocate, even the female Night Fury allowed the woman to pet her.

The autumn feast had been a pretty traditional one, except maybe for the dragon flight. Several riders flew in the air doing complicated and impressive figures. The food had been good, the feast had been funny with a lot of alcohol. People just had time to sober up before the wedding to come.

The day before the his marriage, Eret showed Hiccup the morning gift he intended to offer Kalisha. Not only he intended to give her a small bag of gold (which was pretty usual) but there also was a set of jewels, necklaces, bracelets, rings, headbands all made of silver and gold adorned with games stones. It was probably worth a lot.

"During the last raids, I got a good amount of gold and silver," he told Hiccup. "There is some kind of irony when you think about it: slave traders sold her for gold when she was young, and now their gold paid this."

"It's a nice kind of irony; anyway this is really beautiful. I'll have to do my best to match with that during my own marriage!"

"You will, the best jewelers will work on your gift," Eret affirmed. "It seems like you and Astrid are getting closer?"

"…Seems so. She spoke with me about adopting Rona, the little girl. It does mean a lot."

"When a woman asks you to raise a child with her? Yeah, I would say it means quite a deal!"

Hiccup couldn't help but smile hugely at this and Eret took him by the shoulder in a brotherly way.

The next day, a ritual bath was taking place for both Kalisha and Eret. They were separated for now, Kalisha was with married women and Eret with married men, supposed to share their experience with the two betrothed. Astrid couldn't attend the ritual bath with the bride, she wasn't married yet. Vami and Cryda were both married, so the two were along with her.

Astrid prepared herself for the wedding, wearing the only dress she brought along with her, a light green one with some dark blue embroidery. She braided her hair in a simple but elegant way, and took care of Rona as well. Cryda had been able to make a dress for the girl in time. The little girl was wearing a simple dark green dress adorned with a yellow belt. Yet it seemed as if she was bewildered to be allowed to wear such clothes.

"You look pretty like that. Don't forget to behave during the wedding, it's an important day for Eret and Kalisha."

The child nodded and they went with Fury to attend the ceremony. The masked man looked at the child, Toothless was at his side. He suddenly took her in his arms: "Come here." Then, he put her on Toothless's back. Although she seemed a bit scared at first, Astrid gave her an encouraging nod.

"Here, you won't have to walk the entire way through," Fury gently murmured.

The girl shifted a bit and Toothless turned to her to give her a lick on the face. She winced but smiled nonetheless at this, and she visibly relaxed. Fury gave Astrid his arm, and for once she accepted it; it was a wedding and being a bit ceremonial was due. The wedding would take place on the wedding grove above the town, beneath a big oak tree under which a hörgr had been built. A lot of people were here, the bride may be a simple maid, but the groom was one of the most important figure of the island. Plus, Mala's presence was making the event even more important. A sacrificial goat was waiting there as well. Astrid took Rona off Toothless's back and into her arms to allow her to see well.

Kalisha advanced toward the hörgr, carrying a sword, the traditional wedding gift for her groom. She was beautiful, wearing a traditional flower crown, in her red and dark blue dress. The silver embroideries were shining under the sun, and her radiant smile lightened her face beautifully. Eret was carrying his old sword, trying to look formal and proud as it was expected for a groom. Fury advanced; he had to be the first witness while the shaman told them to exchange the swords:

"Eret, you give this woman your father's sword to pass to her firstborn, giving her your trust to be a good wife and mother and making her enter in a new life as married woman. Kalisha, you give this man a new sword to fight for his family, giving your trust to be a good husband and father, and making him enters his new life as a married man."

The two exchanged the swords and the shaman ordered Eret to sacrifice the goat with the new sword he had been given. The man executed him and killed the beast before the altar, as the tradition wanted. Then, the rings were exchanged between the two. They kissed each other, although that wasn't part of the ritual, they couldn't help it. The shaman slammed her stick against the ground and reminded them they had to exchange their vows. The two took their hands and spoke together the traditional vows.

Seeing all that reminded Astrid that it would be her turn soon.

Once it was over, Eret took Kalisha in his arms and made her mount his dragon. Skullcrusher carried the bride on his back while his usual rider walked at his side. They arrived at Eret's house where he had to perform the last part of the ritual for the day before they went to the Great Hall. After making Kalisha walk in, he chose one of the supporting pillars of the house, Eret gave it the traditional stab with his sword, supposed to test the luck and fertility of their marriage. Some people applauded at that. The stab was deep, and Eret gave a satisfied look when someone told him he would have many children. Kalisha smiled and blushed slightly at this. After this, people went eagerly in the Great Hall where they would drink, sing and dance together.

Ale, hydromel and wine were awaiting the attendees. The newly married couple was sitting with Fury, Mala and Astrid at the table of honor where the goat sacrificed earlier was served. The music was loud, people were eating, laughing and chattering, children were running around the table or playing with dragons. Rona was among them, although she still wasn't speaking, a few girls and boys had befriended her. The musicians soon yelled at the audience to dance along with their music, claiming that the feast was too calm. In a matter of seconds, people were gathering to dance.

Astrid wondered if she would find a dance partner. She knew Fury didn't like that, he told her once, so maybe she could find someone else to dance with, as friends only. She would probably be asked by someone anyway, dancing with different people during an event was almost a social expectation. Only Eret and Kalisha would strictly remain together, as it was the day of their marriage. Yet to enter among the dancers, she would need someone to take her and men were generally expected to make the first step. Maybe Fishlegs would ask her, they had already done that many times in the past.

She was thinking about that when Fury stood up. At her surprise, her future husband extended his hand to her and she took it with confusion. She followed him though; Eret asked Kalisha to dance with him of course, while Heather went to sit closer to Fishlegs, obviously waiting for him to invite her. Since the boy was so shy, she eventually asked him to be her partner and the boy accepted shyly.

Astrid could see her betrothed wasn't a great dancer indeed, but for a guy with one metallic foot, he wasn't doing well enough. It had been a long time since her last dance; it was actually nice to do it again.

"I thought you didn't like dancing?"

"Not much, but you do," he simply replied.

He made her swirl again and she murmured: "No need to force yourself."

"It's not bad, I don't hate this, it's just not my thing, usually. Anyway, I wanted to see what dancer you were."

"You could have let me dance with another partner."

"I prefer it that way," he answered with a slight grin. "I'll have to ask Mala for the next dance, though. She is my guest of honor, I can't do otherwise."

"Is it a bad thing?"

"No, but it's a bit too solemn in my opinion."

She had already understood that he had a thing for her, this confirmed it furthermore. The way he looked at her through the mask made her felt a bit shaky for an instant. This was a strange man…Yet she was starting feel something weird, his touch didn't repulse her anymore and being pressed against him…Well, that felt actually fine. He leaned down his head a bit and for a moment she thought he was going to kiss her. He didn't though; he simply murmured that she was beautiful. A strange shiver went through her. She had already experienced that, she knew what it was…Attraction.

The dancers exchanged their partners, and she found herself dancing with Fishlegs, then with an old blacksmith who reminded her a bit of Gobber, and with one of the men accompanying Mala before returning to Fury. She had to admit he wasn't a bad partner at all. Less nervous than Fishlegs, he also had more conversation than the man who came with Mala and he smelled better than the blacksmith! Also, even though it was making her a bit uncomfortable, there was also that strange feeling. She realized once again that he was tall, that he was lean and not in a bad way, that his chest was firm, and that his eyes were green. He stared at her intensely.

"I know I told you already, but you're beautiful."

"Thanks."

Something passed between them at this moment when they looked at each other. It felt like a caress with no need of hands to give it. The music changed and this time Astrid stopped dancing, and joined a few of her friends. Vami and Wollmi were laughing together and they explained Astrid why when she joined them. Fury looked at her, wondering if he had done something wrong. He showed nothing though, and went to Eret to congratulate him once more before spending time with Mala again.

 **I know we didn't see Mala a lot. We'll have more of her in the next chapter. I was pretty hyped to describe the wedding. I did some research about Norse marriage, and though I put some of it in there, I'm perfectly aware that my depiction is probably far from accurate. Especially the bride riding on a dragon; I'm pretty sure they weren't doing that back then.**


	16. Unexpected Turns

**Chapter 16**

 **Unexpected Turns**

 **Hi everyone! I know it had been a long, but I have been quite busy this summer, and let's say it, it was summer, so I spent more time away from the computer than usual. Anyway I hope you'll enjoy this chapter.**

 **A bit of a recap: Viggo wants Astrid to help him stole the books in the library; they plan to turn the thievery against him and capture him. Mala is on the island for a visit; Hiccup is secretly training a Typhoomerang and a Timberjack in order to use those particular dragons in the war.**

The days following Eret and Kalisha's wedding had been pretty busy and merry for most of the inhabitants; Mala's soldiers represented a whole lot of new clients for the taverns and merchants of the island, and the income they would generate would really help during winter.

Yet the busiest were probably the chief and his fiancée. Astrid would still train the new fighters along with Belda and Fishlegs, train Stormfly and herself to fly, and of course, she had to handle Viggo. Hiccup on the other hand, was still busy secretly taming the Typhoomerang and Timberjack in the forest, would also train himself and Toothless and take care of his tribe. And of course, both of them would take care of Rona. But that wasn't all; they also had a lot of meetings with Mala and Fury's counselors.

One evening, while Astrid was meeting Viggo, he went to them. He and Toothless were always careful not to be followed. The dragon would sniff the air around while his rider would carefully listen to any sound.

"I'm pretty sure Astrid is keeping Viggo busy, Bud, but we're never too careful."

The beast answered with a little growl. They found the two dragons without difficulty. They came toward them before Hiccup called.

"They're getting used to us!"

A joyful sound came out of Toothless and he went to the two dragons and exchanged a few roars, reminding them he was in charge and they shouldn't try to hurt his rider. He extended his black wings wide, and though he was bigger than them, the two wild dragons didn't try to fight any further. Hiccup couldn't help but smile at this, he took off his mask, happy to have it off his skin.

"Thank you, Bud."

He approached the Typhoomerang first who recoiled a bit. "Come on, don't be scared, I don't want to hurt you, I want us to be friends." The beast approached his head and sniffed his hand then rubbed his scales against his skin. Hiccup tried to approach further but the beast recoiled again. But when he did that, the Timberjack approached by itself and gave Hiccup a nudge. The young man smiled and petted him gently. The beast leaned in his touch and after a few moments, Hiccup backed away and called him. He just wanted him to respond, to come to his call. The Timberjack tilted his head to the side. Toothless added a growl, as if he wanted to make sure the dragon could understand. The big beast took some steps toward Hiccup who continued to call him. When he was finally at the man's level, he petted him once more and scratched him as a reward.

At this sight, the Typhoomerang came also, envious of the treatment the other dragon was receiving. Hiccup giggled at this and backed away and called the Typhoomerang who came toward him. The dragon stepped toward him, but the Timberjack pushed him away, not eager to see him receive scratches in his stead. Toothless put himself between them and roared. For a moment, Hiccup remembered Gothi back on Berk, when she would settle arguments between men who were way bigger than her but who would submit to her nonetheless. The Timberjack pouted but didn't push the other dragon again.

Hiccup trained them for some times before going back. Flying on Toothless's back in the night was always a pleasure. He looked at the woods, it was weird to imagine Viggo in there, plotting and all. Those looked so peaceful…The night was dark but he could still distinguish some things, like the library or the Great Hall. He was proud of that city he built, truly.

"I don't what to do about Berk though," he admitted out loud to his dragon. "Maybe I should claim back the island after I take down Drago. Spitelout is a bad chief, no doubt on this. I don't know how they will all react. Hel, I don't know how Astrid and Fishlegs will react! But I know I must do something."

His dragon let out a small moan. Hiccup scratched him lightly behind the ears.

"It won't be easy, I know it. At least I'll have you…I hope Astrid won't be too angry."

When he got home, he found his fiancee already there, combing her hair before the fireplace. He sat at her side, and she started to sum up her encounter with Viggo. They didn't speak that much, they merely made a point and on their future mission. From what Viggo told her, a few other men were on their way to help them get the books, then they would transport those to Heidrig, the island Drago currently occupied. Ryker, Viggo's brother, would be among them.

"If we can get the two of them, it will be even better. They are Drago's closest men, he would be even lonelier."

"Indeed. Did you make any progress with the two dragons in the forest, by the way?"

"I did, they are starting to respond to some command and they obey Toothless well enough…"

"Hark!" The little throaty sound interrupted Fury. He first thought it was one of Toothless cub, but instead, he saw it was the little girl making the noise, trying to catch Ebony, one of the little Night Furies, who was flying through the room.

Little Rona was starting to make some sounds; nothing but little grunts or animalistic little noises, but it made both Hiccup and Astrid hope that she would speak again one day. Lady watched the child, keeping an eye to make sure she wouldn't hurt her daughter. Yet Ebony was clearly not in danger of getting hurt.

"Be careful not to catch her tail, they don't like that," Hiccup explained.

She simply gave a nod. Although she used to be scared at him, she was getting more and more accustomed to Fury and she wouldn't look at him with the same wariness as she used to. As often, he used dragons as an advantage, he would teach her how to approach them, properly mount on their back, and would tell her about them. Toothless and Lady's cubs did approach the little girl a few times, even though they were still a bit careful around people they didn't know.

"Just like she did come around," Astrid concluded. "She seems to like you."

Astrid's words were proven true the next morning. Little Rona went to him as he was going out of his room. He didn't even the time to eat that she gestured to come with her impatiently. The girl led him behind the house and showed him Toothless and Lady's cubs who were playing together.

"What is it?"

She went toward them but they backed away slightly. Obviously, the little girl was upset and confused, he could guess her thoughts: why didn't they want to approach her this morning? They accepted to come to her at times, so why not now? Hiccup smiled and sat at her side. He understood very well and he was really touched to see that she came to him for that.

"See, there are times they don't want to be bothered, they'll want to approach you by themselves when they want it. If you make the first move, it will only disturb them. If a dragon is hesitant to come toward you, there is one thing you can do: you can extend your hand to them and turn your head away. Like this."

He showed her the gesture and she titled her head. He gave her an encouraging smile. "It will show them you don't mean any trick, and that you trust them. If they really don't want to come, they'll leave. Otherwise, it should work." He gently took her hand. "Go ahead, don't be scared."

She hesitated, looked at him once more and started to extend her hand. She turned her head away at the same time and Hiccup nodded slightly to her. Toothless looked at his rider and went to him. Hiccup petted his snout while Lady cleaned herself. Rona was still waiting and Hiccup saw Foxy, the most playful of the three, coming toward her. He almost stopped breathing. Rona's breath also stopped as she felt the dragon sniffing her hand. It seemed like time briefly topped when the little dragon pressed his snout against her palm. He saw the girl's face brightening. For a short moment, he saw himself again with Toothless, the very first time he did that. She smiled brightly, more than usual. She looked at him with joy and petted the small Night Fury with happiness. Foxy licked her fingers and leaned into her hand.

Lady approached Rona and sniffed the little girl who got a bit intimidated. Yet the redhead showed her hand tentatively and at Hiccup's astonishment, Lady rubbed her snout against her palm. Yet he soon understood; Hiccup approached her and explained: "She is often scared of humans. Some people hurt her. Just like you, isn't it?"

She lowered her eyes, looked up to him again and nodded. Hiccup went on: "Just like you she was hurt, so she won't trust people easily, and she won't talk. You'll talk again one day, I'm sure. But for now, she probably feels that you're like her. Maybe she also feel a bit motherly toward you, because you're a child, like her own cubs."

Rona smiled at him and looked at Lady and petted her some more. Then she took his hand and put it on Lady's side. Hiccup couldn't help but feel his eyes water a bit, until now, Rona had been a bit scared of him, then she had warmed up, but for the first time, he was feeling something happening between the two of them. He checked around, there was no one to see them.

"My mask scares you a little, doesn't it?" She just lowered her eyes, not daring to admit it; he went on: "You know, I wear it because the mean people I fight cannot see my face. You can, though."

Slowly he took his mask. Rona's mouth fell open when she saw his face. He felt almost embarrassed, Toothless licked his cheek, making him giggle. Petting him, he continued: "Some people say I have scales, or that I am monstrous. But those are only tales. You'll admit I don't really look like a monster."

She nodded, still looking at him with amazement. He smiled and put it back. "You see, there are several reasons why I have to wear it. I will take it off for good one day. But now that you live in my home, and that I'll be, well…Your father, I guess you should know what I look like."

Her eyes widened slightly and her cheek reddened a little. Why was that for? Because he told her he could be her father? Or because he showed her his face? He put his mask back on, just in case and told her to come and take breakfast.

As usual, Astrid trained with Stormfly, Rona came with her, and she spared with Camicazi after. Heather and Fishlegs joined them. The two blond women were exchanging blows, both strong and fast. Astrid made Cami fell down. The woman swiftly jumped on her feet and managed to get behind her opponent quickly. She passed the handle of her axe before her neck, trapping Astrid who made a slight strangled sound. The Hooligan grabbed the back of her opponent's shirt and swiftly bended over, carrying Cami along. The Bog Burglar fell head-first from her back. Astrid's blade was on her neck in a second.

"Okay, I give up…"

Taking her axe away from her neck, Astrid was about to say something when Cami jumped back on her feet and attacked her. The suddenness of it made the Hooligan stumble and she almost fell.

"You…"

"Don't trust an enemy!" Camicazi laughed.

"Oh, you're going down!"

Yet this time, Cami did get the upper hand. They changed partners and Heather spared against Astrid while Fishlegs went against Camicazi. Astrid was starting to really appreciate the Bog-Burglar, in spite of what she did in the past.

"You're stealthy, I must admit it," Astrid pointed out.

"Well, I can call myself an escape-artist," Camicazi explained. "so I worked double on my stealth."

"She trained me with that kind of things," Heather added. "I got good at it, but I could never beat her."

"My friend Ruffnutt wasn't bad at that either, once she begged a guard as if she was losing it, but in reality, she stole the key. Nothing big, but still efficient."

"Oh Gosh, I remember that," Fishlegs commented. "I couldn't believe it! The teens often surprised us with those outbursts of intelligence when I think about it."

"You miss them?" Asked Heather.

"I'm starting to," Fishlegs confessed. "Not that I don't enjoy my time here, but home is home."

"I miss them as well. I don't miss Spitelout, surely, but my friend, my mother and my sister…That's another story," Astrid added. "I wish my mom and sister could meet Rona and Stormfly. I wonder how they would all react if they knew we are riding dragons!"

"Well, as much as I love my home, if they don't want Meatlug, I'll ask Fury to let me settle in," Fishlegs declared with a determination he seldom showed. "I know it can seem crazy to do that for a dragon, but it's like that."

"Not at all. A bond with a dragon can be very powerful," Heather assured.

"And anyway, why sacrifice a loyal friend for people who wouldn't accept you as you are?! It's stupid when you think about it," Cami exclaimed.

She spent most of her times working with both dragons and pupils, until she had to meet Viggo. He told her his men should be there by tomorrow. She decided to ask another question, after all she was a spy and she had to gather more information.

"Why do you need those books so badly? I mean, I know you're not as good as Fury to train dragons, but is it really all? You could just take one of the riders and force them to tell you what you need."

Viggo gave her a little smile as if he was a bit impressed that she didn't buy that simple explanation. "All you need to know is that we must get those books."

"Wait, I'm taking big risks for that, what is it for? Stop telling me I don't have to know, I do, I'm in the middle of this."

He seemed to weigh her words down and finally told her: "Well, let's say that Drago got his hand on a…Pretty rare specimen of dragon."

"What kind?"

"I'm not really an expert like Fury, let's say it's a gigantic kind. But he is having trouble training it. We got it chained and all, and we have someone who could do something with it. But that person had gotten…Difficult. Drago is pretty sure Fury knows something about it, and maybe there are precious contents about that kind of dragons in those books."

She nodded slowly. That was gold! If he wasn't lying, that was really a big step ahead.

"But what if it doesn't work? What if he can't train that dragon?"

Viggo shrugged, obviously he already considered the question: "We have to take risks. That's something I learned, you can never win anything important without risks."

"Yeah, I agree with that…Okay, I'll do my best to get you that key."

"Thank you."

Astrid walked away from Viggo, but when she exited the woods, she saw Rona sprinting toward her. Her hear almost broke her ribcage and she rushed toward the little girl. The child barely had the time to see her when Astrid took her in her arms and walked away with her. The child passed her arms around her affectionately and Astrid could help but look back. It seemed that something had moved but she wasn't sure. Did Viggo saw Rona? She hoped not; he wasn't that far, maybe he did sight her.

"Kid, you shouldn't be here, I'll take you to your parents," she said loudly enough to make sure Viggo would hear that. Maybe next time she would be able to lie and tell him that she didn't want the kid to see him. She didn't want him to think she had anything to do with Rona. The redhead looked at her questioningly when she spoke about her 'parents'. How would she explain her? Once at home, she simply put the child down and explained her that somebody was listening to them, somebody who couldn't know that she lived with her and Fury. Rona didn't seem to really understand, but maybe she was a bit too young.

"Don' t go to the woods at night anyway, okay? I don't want you to get in danger. What were you doing there anyway? Looking for me?" Rona just nodded. "Just wait for me next time, alright?"

Their evening routine went as usual. She gave the little girl her bath, and she looked at the marks on the child's skin. If only she knew who among those people did that to her…Well, the best solution was to kill as many enemies as possible, that way she might kill one of Rona's torturers. She combed the girl's hair, she had really beautiful red locks. When she had seen her the first time, those were messy, dirty and stern; but now that she was taking care of those, the bright red hair grew to be beautiful. She didn't know whether or not Rona would be pretty later, but her hair would definitely be an asset.

"I wished I had red hair like yours," she told the little girl. "People often prize blond hair, but I always thought red hair were prettier. Yours are like fire."

Ron reddened and smiled at the praise. When she was done with her hair, she led her to bed.

"You need to sleep, now. Good warriors don't neglect their chances to rest, to be ready for the next fight," she murmured nicely. "Good night."

Before she could leave, she felt Rona's hand grabbing hers. She turned to the girl who opened her mouth as if she was trying to speak. Astrid sat on the child's bed and as a little sound came out of her throat. Astrid just looked at her as the child tried once again and finally a little word came out: "…Mom…"

Her voice was small, shy, almost strangled by nervousness or the usual muteness. Yet Astrid understood the word and it gripped her guts; she was completely dumbfounded at this! She didn't know what to respond; she kissed Rona on her forehead, smiled to her and left the room as the little girl was lying down.

"She called me mom," she murmured to Fury once they were alone.

"She spoke?!"

"Yes, and to call me 'mom'," she reminded him.

"Well, she obviously consider you as her mom. Don't you consider her your daughter? As weird as it is, I kinda start to think of her as mine. I must tell you that…I showed her my face today."

Astrid was pretty astonished. "So, even she had seen your face before me?"

"I was willing to unmask myself, you are the one told me not to do so now that you're a spy," he reminded her carefully.

"I know, I know. But it still hitching a bit; I guess it will add a new motivation to take down those people. I didn't really need one, though. Oh, by the way, there is something I learned, something very important."

She told him about that gigantic dragon Drago got his hand on, and also that the one person who could tame it was being 'difficult', whatever that meant. Hiccup listened, almost entranced. A gigantic dragon…He doubted Drago would find much in the books he and his friends wrote, but anyway, he couldn't let him have those. No. He smiled widely at Astrid, he could have fallen in love with her, if he hadn't already.

"You did an excellent job really! I had a feeling Drago would do something like that, but thanks to you, I'm sure of it!"

She couldn't help but blush a bit, and notice he had a nice smile. Eret told her that he had been swept away by Kalisha's smile the first time he saw her. She could understand what he meant, now. Fury took her hand gently and searched for something in his pocket. He put a key into her hand.

"Is it the real one?"

"No, of course not. If everything happens as I thought, we'll take them before they reach the door. You just need a key to fool them."

"Alright."

"Tell Viggo you seduced me and managed to take the key without me noticing."

She gave him a little amused expression: "Seduced you? I'm starting to think you're not only making those tales for Viggo, but that your imagination is getting wild."

"Well, I don't know if you would really be able to fool me that much, but he'll believe it."

She tilted her head, feeling something rose in her, an energy she had already felt in her life; she never thought she would feel that for Fury, but here she was. "Oh, you doubt it?"

"You never showed me whether or not you could do that."

He took back the key and put it in his pocket once more with a daring look. She gave him a little naughty smile and approached him, leaning toward him. "I could, right now, for example, I could tell you that I'm cold, and that I would need your warmth, cause even that fire cannot help me." She took deep breath in. "I could tell you that I like that forest smell you have."

"Do I really smell like that, or is it just an empty praise?"

"Oh you actually do, and it's nice," She approached her nose and he couldn't help but feel a bit shaken, a slight vertigo overtook him, for a short instant. He could feel her breath against his skin… "Your skin is a bit wet…" she murmured while wiping away a drop of water from his neck. He couldn't help but shiver. Yet he remembered she was trying to do something.

He grabbed her wrist promptly as she was taking the key out of his pocket. She gave out a disappointed grunt while he smiled in satisfaction. "Almost. But I must admit I barely felt it. And I was warned, so, I guess it was easier for me."

"I'll try again one day, when you won't be warned. Anyway, I have the key and Viggo will be happy," she concluded.

"Not for long."

"Will you execute him immediately?"

"No, we'll interrogate him a bit, but he'll die shortly," Fury assured her.

"Good."

The next morning, Fury and Astrid spoke of it with Mala, Heather, Eret and Camicazi. The queen immediately settled one important point: "We mustn't harm the dragon. If he is prisoner of Drago, he'll leave at the first chance he got."

"Except if he got broken already," Camicazi reminded her. "But I agree, we have to try to free it first, no need to fight a dragon who could simply fly away."

"Viggo didn't seem so sure about the dragon being obedient," Astrid pointed out. "I could ask more questions."

"Okay, but be very careful, Viggo is sly, he could understand something is wrong. Anyway we have to attack Drago as soon as possible, we can't let him finish his training," Fury asserted.

"Maybe you shouldn't ask questions, Astrid,, we'll interrogate him after all," Eret reminded them.

"Yeah, but he would do everything to hide the truth. Maybe he would be more honest with Astrid since he think of her as an ally," Heather suggested.

"You can try, but don't be too obvious," Hiccup reminded her. "And keep Stormfly with you, remember that."

She smiled to him. "Don't worry, I will."

They decided of the way they would trap Viggo, Ryker and whoever they would bring. After that, they would go ahead and free the beast Drago was attempting to train.

 **O o O**

When Astrid found Viggo and showed him the key, an evil smile appeared on his lips. "Finally. This will be a big step toward victory, I'm sure of it. How did you manage to get it?"

"Stole it from him while I was sweet-talking him. I'm not really fond of those kind of tricks, but it was the best way."

"You won't regret it. But tell me who was that kid yesterday? Is she close to Fury?"

"Rona…No. No, she is just a kid I train. Why?" She couldn't help but feel nervous, she didn't like that one bit.

"Well, I wondered if she might have seen something. Kids tend to cackle and I wouldn't like her to babble to everyone that she saw you talking with a stranger."

"Oh, don't worry, she is mute."

He seemed relieved at this, and so was she. If that was all, then it was alright.

"Well, I hope you're ready, my dear. My men are here, they're hidden in the forest, and with the key, we can go for the books tonight. I'll wait for you there, I'll hide from the guards, you'll sneak out and join me. Once we're sure the area is clear, I'll give my men a signal and they'll come to take the books."

"Understood."

Yes! They were so close! They would still have much to do, but taking this guy down would already be a big step! She tried to ask him about the gigantic dragon but he didn't give much answer, telling her that Drago didn't give him any fresh news.

After nightfall, she went to the library. She had let Rona to Kalisha while she would go, she couldn't let such a young child alone at home. Fury, Heather, Eret, Fishlegs, Camicazi and a few other soldiers would follow her discretely. She found Viggo hiding nearby, and they sneaked toward the library. He watched their surroundings and nodded. They opened the library's door and made a owl-ish sound to let his own men know they had to come. A few shadows moved stealthily toward them and they entered the library. She noticed one man was carrying a bag over his back, a big bag. What was it?

"What do you have in this?" Asked she in a low voice.

The man gave no answer. Viggo turned to Astrid. Suddenly, before she realized it, he put his dagger right on her neck. She was about to grab her axe when two strong hands caught her arms.

"Not a move."

What?! They caught her by surprise! She could have found a way to free herself from the man's grasp, but with that weapon on her skin, she would probably get killed. The man holding her took both her wrists in one big hand and put a knife under her throat. Viggo smirked and went to the door. He tried the key and of course, the door didn't open.

"That's what I thought. It's not the good key. Astrid, you really disappoint me."

"Fuck you! I don't care if I die, you're surrounded anyway. You won't get away so easily."

"Ah, I imagine Fury didn't let you come in like that. And I imagine you could find a trick to free yourself. But you see, I'm a precautious man, I told my brother to take a little something to ensure my escape. Oswald?"

The man carrying the bag smirked and took out what the bag contained; Astrid froze in horror when she saw what it contained. _No! It can't be!_

Outside, Hiccup and his fighters were about to enter. Their dragons just joined them. Now that was it, it was exactly the time for them to finally get Viggo and Ryker! He was about to enter the library when the door suddenly opened. His eyes widened when he saw with horror Astrid held by Ryker with a knife on her throat. Oh, Hel, Viggo discovered everything! Everyone around was shocked and devastated to see their plan had been turned against them. But more of all, they all feared for their friend.

"Astrid!"

"Don't try anything, please," she cried out.

The dragons roared and growled but their riders stopped them from making any moves.

"I advise you to listen to her," the man declared proudly and angrily, "maybe _she_ could survive some wounds, but she isn't the only one at stake."

He advanced and allowed the others to get out. Their horror grew as they saw Viggo and another man who was holding an unconscious Rona against his chest. His dagger was against the kid's neck.

Fishlegs gave Astrid a desperate look, he knew his friend: if her own life was in danger, she wasn't scared, but she wouldn't risk someone else's survival, especially a child's life. Oh Hel, what should he do?

"Hiding behind a little girl! Did you become _that_ low?!" Heather yelled in rage.

Viggo smirked: "Oh, you're almost making me feel bad!" He looked at Fury. "Now, you're letting us go, or they both die. We both know you're too sensitive to take that risk."

Hiccup gritted his teeth, sadly he wasn't wrong. He couldn't let Astrid or Rona die the simple sight of them being held hostage was terrifying. That was his weakness, and Viggo knew it: he wasn't willing to sacrifice his loved ones for victory. It could be strength, but right now, it was allowing Viggo to leave with two hostages. Eret suddenly realized something: not only Astrid and Rona were in danger, but what happened to his wife?! They let the little girl to Kalisha; did they kill her?!

"What did you do to my wife?!" Yelled Eret, feeling nauseous with worry.

"Well, go see for yourself. I have no idea whether she is alive or not, she fell pretty badly, I must say," Ryker sadistically replied.

"Go to her," Fury immediately ordered. "There are enough of us here."

Eret mounted his dragon and flew toward his house. Hiccup silently prayed she wasn't dead, his hatred of the two men increased, it became so boiling it was almost unbearable. His finger begged him to take his sword and kill the two.

"You think this is over? If you hurt them, you know I will make you pay. I will give you a death which will make thousands shivers," Fury declared threateningly. "Your simple name will make pity rise in anyone, because when people will think about you, they'll only remember the suffering you endured."

Viggo's smirk vanished and he straightened his back: "Oh, don't be scared for her, she could still get out of this unscathed. You however…I also have plans for you, dear Fury."

"You frigging…" Camicazi yelled while throwing herself at Ryker. The man caught her and disarmed her so easily that he laughed. "Another hostage! This is getting better!"

Hamera, Camicazi's dragon, was about to attack when her owner gave her a sign not to move. Although the dragon was fidgeting and couldn't hold in place, she didn't attack. She gave Hiccup a look and he understood immediately why Camicazi did that: she wanted to get caught. He thanked her mentally for that, and let Viggo, Ryker and their few men walk away from them.

"Don't worry, we'll come for you," Fishlegs swore.

"If you're as smart as you think, you won't harm them," Heather yelled threateningly.

Hiccup watched silently. He couldn't save them now, but he would go for them. Hell, knowing Astrid and Camicazi, they could escape by themselves, but with the little girl around…It would be even more difficult. Guilt eat him up, he should never have asked Atsrid to do that! They would get them back, he promised himself that, there was no way he would allow them to hurt her! The captors made it out of the village, Astrid was following Viggo, her eyes still on Rona who was starting to stir. Oh, she would be terrified.

"Put her down, you only need me, I'm enough for you!"

"Yeah, I'm also here, two women close to Fury, don't tell me you need to terrorize a child to feel safe," Cami sneered.

"She will help us to keep you good and obedient, something you desperately need to learn," Ryker growled at the Bog-Burglar. Suddenly, he punched her hard right at the function of the jaw and ear. Cami was knocked out immediately and Astrid was about to yell when she suddenly felt pain and then succumbed to darkness as well.

 **Okay, well, they're in the s***. We'll finally see Drago in the flesh! When I think about it, he still didn't make an appearance! Time to fix that!**


	17. The Game Ends

**Chapter 17**

 **The Game Ends**

 **Hi! Sorry for the time it took, I thought it wouldn't take that long, but it did. I hope you'll still enjoy it, though!**

They got captured! Camicazi, Rona, Astrid…They got captured! How did they learn! He should have known Viggo was too good for him! He should have captured him a long time ago! But no, he wanted to know everything about Drago's plans! He wanted to play smarter than him! Well, there he was, with his smart plans!

"What are we gonna do?!"

That was the first question he heard. He knew what he will do: murder them all.

"We'll follow them, but not too close, I don't want them to see us. We'll try to attack by surprise and get them back before we get to Drago's island."

Astrid…Oh, he was keeping a calm stance, but in reality, he was alarmed, he was distraught, angry and scared, really scared for the three of them! Camicazi, Rona, Astrid…

"We shouldn't have let them go! We should have burned them down!" Heather exclaimed.

"Yeah, we should have burned them, attacked them with our swords and they would have used Rona and Astrid as human shields!" Heather's eyes widened slightly at this, realizing it would have happened like that indeed. "I'll get the three hem back, they would be dead already if they wanted to kill them. They would have let me see it."

They would probably bring them to Drago, Viggo wouldn't take the risk to piss off his chief by killing precious hostages. And knowing both Drago and Viggo, they would probably wish to use them, Hiccup was sure of that. So he had some time to save them, but they needed to act fast.

"Kalisha is alive! She just got knocked out!"

He saw Eret coming back, out of breath. At least one good new! He started to prepare himself to leave, his companions following him. Maybe they would be able to get them before they reached the island, but it wasn't certain. He turned to Heather and Fishlegs.

"We're going to follow them. Eret, you and Belda will gather our troops, send a message to Mala, tell her we could need reinforcement. It's time to end this all!"

"You want a final battle?"

"Yes. We toyed around for long enough. After what happened, Drago won't stay in his lair, he will attack me soon because he'll think I'm vulnerable now. I have to act before he does, we'll save them and then make our first move against him. Heather, Fishlegs and I will go first, free them and do our best to prepare your arrival. Now let's leave."

They prepared quickly and they both got on their dragons. Fishlegs didn't know if he was a good rider already, but it didn't matter. He had to try, he couldn't let his friend like this! He got on Meatlug's back and the dragon gave him a heart-warming look. _She won't let me down. It doesn't matter if I'm not a good rider, she is a good dragon._

"Come on, girl, let's save Astrid!"

Fury gave Toothless something which belonged to Astrid and they flew up in the air. The Hooligan was nervous, but this wouldn't stop him. For now, all he had to do was to follow Fury and Heather, it would be simple. Yet he was pretty astonished he was part of this. He went to Fury's level.

"Thanks for trusting me with this."

"You have my trust? Fishlegs? I know you're able to do it."

"How?"

"…I'll explain everything in time, for now, let's focus."

He nodded and they kept following them. Yes, they would succeed, they had no other choice.

 **O o O**

Viggo and his men weren't really good at riding dragons, but it wasn't complicated to make them go from one point to another. Neither of the two women could tell whether or not the travel back had been long, because they had been drugged for most part. They had let them regain consciousness at times to drink and eat, but that was pretty much all. It was impossible for them to know when they reached the island, but when they did, Astrid and Camicazi had regained some consciousness.

Through her dizzy mind, Astrid could see an island with many watch towers, many buildings, and huge mountains. Maybe it was because of her nauseous, foggy state, but that place seemed grim, and kinda lifeless. They landed beside a big building. When they were forced to get down from the dragons' backs, they heard Rona cry and yelp. Astrid saw tone of the men carrying her away.

In spite of her drugged state, she yelled like a demon and rushed to the men and punched him as hard as she could. The man lost his breath at this. Before she could hurt him again, two strong arms were grabbing her. She struggled, roared like a monster hit them, kicked, bit, punched, but her body wouldn't respond as well as usual. And they started to beat her when they understood that holding her wouldn't be enough. She saw Camicazi trying to fight as well. She tried to hit one of the soldiers with her elbow when a violent punch landed on her cheek.

She was pushed inside the building they landed next to, and her foggy mind knew only one thing: she had to save her little girl! In spite of all her fight, she got thrown in a cell, as well as Camicazi. She tried to get up, when she got kicked and pushed against a wall.

Another punch landed on her cheek and this time she stumbled, and kick followed to make her collapse completely and her breath was cut short. Camicazi released a yelp as she was punched violently in the guts while two men were holding her. A tight grip on her hair yanked Astrid up and she was thrown violently against a wall, she just had time to put her bound hands before her to spare her face. Her hair was pulled again and she just had time to see Camicazi getting kicked on the ground too.

She was kicked again and another blow was about to land on her when they heard a loud voice:

"That will be enough, men."

They stopped hitting them but still held them to make sure they wouldn't try anything. Camicazi had an eye closed and getting purple but it wasn't stopping her from seeing two big men standing. Unlike Astrid she knew them; the Hooligan couldn't help but be creped out by the biggest one. It wasn't because of his gigantic frame, or because of the scars on his face. It was his expression. Even a hungry vulture would seem more tender than this!

Cami spat on the ground at his sight: "Astrid, hope you're 'honored' to meet Drago Bludvist."

The man smirked: "Still so rough, let's hope your friend knows her manners a bit more."

He advanced toward her and Astrid made sure to keep a composed stance, even though she was intimidated. It was his big frame, she had seen and fought big men. But it was this expression…He looked demented, cold but with something burning and only waiting to erupt. Plus he was eying her…Oh she knew when a man was ogling and he was. Yet fear didn't stop her from asking questions.

"Where is the little girl? Where is Rona?"

"She is safe and sound for now. After all what would be the point in killing her? You should worry about yourself."

"Let me guess: we'll be lucky if you only behead us properly before your entire tribe," the bog-burglar hissed.

Drago didn't even spare her a glance and looked at Astrid hungrily while answering Camicazi:

"It would be a big waste. We have a lack of females recently, we can't waste good pieces like this."

"Are you fucking kidding us!" Camicazi yelled.

"One of my men can have you," he told her before turning to Astrid again, "and you...Oh I would be delighted to get Fury's fiancee before he could even touch you. I heard he chose you among all the girls of your tribe, no wonder."

It wasn't exactly true, but she didn't bother about that. He started to get closer, one hand approached her face and she spat on his cheek immediately.

"Don't even think about it!"

He was startled at this and she was pretty sure he would hit her. But instead he wiped his skin with his fingers and gave her a twisted look.

"No wonder she was called the insurgent!" With that he liked his fingers clean while giving her a lustful look. She felt nauseous at this. "I must say this was enjoyable, but you should be careful. Remember that little girl who is counting on you."

Astrid felt an icy shiver going through her. Indeed, if she made a mistake, Rona would pay for it. If they wanted to escape, there would be one chance only.

"Can I take the other one?" Asked Ryker. "I always had a thing for her."

"Like hell!"

"You can, Ryker. Now you should both listen to me carefully: you can talk and we'll treat you respectfully and won't take your honor. But if you refuse to speak and you'll be marked as our slaves and we'll use you without the slightest consideration."

"So if we talk, you let us leave? I don't believe that," Cami grunted.

"I don't say we'd let you leave, I said you would be treated respectfully. Ryker, make sure she is locked away, don't touch her for now, I'm a man of my word, she'll have a chance to cooperate."

"I like to take my time anyway."

He took her by the arm and pulled her to come with him. She hated that but she didn't try to resist, it would be useless, there were too many of them. She needed her energy to attempt an escape. Drago looked again at Astrid and took her by the arm to make her follow him. His grip was firm, but not painful.

"If you think of trying anything, remember my hands are strong enough to tear that kid apart."

"What kind of man shield himself behind a little girl."

"The kind who knows how to hurt a mother right to the core."

He tightened his grip around her wrist and Astrid winced in pain. Her stomach churned as she understood the message: she made a mistake by provoking him. That mouth of hers…She really never learned to shut up! He pushed her inside a cell.

"Sit down," he ordered, "you're exhausted."

Astrid sat and tried not to look completely miserable in spite of her swollen and cut lip, in spite of the bruises on her and the dirt and the mess of hair she had. She was scared, even though she would do everything not to show it, she was. She heard the sound of water, a slight soft sound, followed by footsteps coming closer. Suddenly, she felt something wet pressed against her face and she backed away slightly. Drago was holding a wet cloth and that was maybe the weirdest thing she ever saw. He pressed it against one of her wounds once more and murmured softly:

"You could end this well for you..."

"I would be a prisoner and your mistress. Wonderful."

"Not a prisoner, nor a mistress, I have better for you."

"What?"

"If I do conquer Endris, I'll also submit Mala, and I'll have three powerful islands under my power, and it will be only the beginning. I'll have power and riches but I'll need heirs and a wife."

"Wait...You're proposing me to...to be your wife?!"

"I wasn't kidding when I said I liked you. I'm aware I'm not an attractive man, but at least I'm a real man, not a fishbone like Fury. And I'll be one of the greatest chief ever, more, I'll be a king. And I'm not forcing you in any way. If you prefer, you could simply be one of my generals. Either way, I want you to join me willingly."

She was breathless at this. Was this man really...No, he couldn't have any feelings for her, he didn't even know her! She was just a nice prize, and that was all. Before she could give him a reply, Drago spoke:

"I'm giving you time to think about my proposal. However, you need to decide quickly whether or not you will join me."

"And what about Camicazi?"

"I don't trust her, she'll betray us, but she will be treated well if you both behave."

"Why would you trust me more?"

"Because you might realize you made a mistake trusting Fury. Maybe you felt cornered to do it, because you had nowhere to go anymore, but now you do. You didn't go to them willingly, she did. Think, Astrid, you have the choice with me. You'll stay locked away but we'll treat you well, and we'll continue to do so if I have a good answer."

He could see she was hesitating, maybe some times in the cell would do her some good. He would have her fed, though, she was lean, just as he liked, and he wouldn't want her to become too thin. Her whole body looked so firm, those breasts of her, not big but perfectly round and her legs looked perfect through those pants…Oh no, he didn't want to damage that.

He left her there and walked away, thinking of what just happened. Taking Fury's fiancee for himself...That was definitely a nice perspective, his enemy's taste in women were fine. Not only she was beautiful, but tough and if he could get her to come to his side, she would probably indeed make a good wife for him. And anyway if she wasn't good enough, he could still kill her. He hoped it would work but if it was necessary, he would snap that pretty neck of hers.

 **O o O**

"Get your hand off me!"

"Calm down, lady, I'm only holding your arm! We'll do more when Drago will win!"

Ryker was leading Camicazi through the prison, looking at her up and down. She wasn't really pretty, but fine enough, and she was a strong, hard-headed one, quite like him. He would take her as his mistress, whatever, if she wasn't nice enough, he could sell her or kill her.

"Don't even think that will happen."

"Consider it, that's your best chance to live. You could give me some sturdy kids."

"Is Drago giving the same speech to Astrid?"

"Don't know, don't care. That's what I'm telling you. Let's hope this will give you time to think. This one will be perfect, at least that one won't try to touch you, and maybe you'll learn what disobedience brings."

She was pushed into a cell which already contained another prisoner. This made her forget Ryker and all his absurd propositions. The person was in the shadows, and she stayed on her feet, in spite of the pain. She had to show them right away she was no one to mess with, she knew by experience cellmates could be dangerous or very annoying.

"Who are you?"

"I should be the one to ask that," answered a womanly voice. "You're the one who just came in."

The woman sounded tired, exhausted even, there wasn't any sarcasm or mockery in her voice. She was here since a long time, Cami was pretty sure of that.

"My name is Camicazi. That's all you need to know for now. Who are you?"

"Camicazi…I think I already heard that name from Drago's mouth a few times."

"You spoke with Drago?" What kind of prisoners would speak with him on a regular basis? She obviously did if she heard her names several times. Who was this woman? She could see her raising her head to look at her.

"Camicazi…You're with that Fury, right?" Her voice suddenly sounded more hopeful.

"Yes, now tell me who you are!"

"…You probably never heard of me. I lived with dragons for a long part of my life, I wouldn't go much to other humans. I started fighting Drago years ago."

"You…Were fighting Drago? Why didn't you contact us? We would have been happy to get an ally!"

"I was imprisoned before Endris became a big tribe. I tried to escape several time, I even managed to screw some of Drago's plans."

Cami shook her head: "I don't believe you. He would have killed you if you did."

The woman stood and walked slowly to the bars. She saw her face thanks to the torch lights, it was thin and something seemed familiar. She had long, messy brown hair, and she was very lean, too much. She had a small, sad smile.

"Sometimes I wished he killed me. But he needs me, he hoped I'll give in, but I'll never do it! He just punishes me instead, force me to do things, or see things I didn't want."

"That's sad, but that doesn't answer my question. I won't repeat myself again: who are you? What's your name? Why are you here?"

"My name is Valka."

Valka…She remembered Hiccup's mother was named like that. But she was dead, this was surely another Valka, that name wasn't so rare. The woman went on:

"I'm here because Drago want someone to take care of his dragons! His torturers can hardly feed them properly! One in particular needs a lot of attention, the Alpha."

"The Alpha?"

She looked at Cami questioningly: "Endris doesn't know, yet? Drago has an Alpha dragon."

Alpha…They knew a bit about those dragons, the Red Death had been one, and thankfully, Hiccup and Toothless managed to kill it, giving the Archipelago some peace. An Alpha in Drago's hands…oh Gosh, so that was his new weapon? Oh, Thor!

"Where is that beast?"

"Chained in a pit. Why?"

Camicazi's head suddenly throbbed. The drug's effects were dissipating but she was still a bit dizzy. As for her body, it was sore. She needed to rest a bit and clear her head. She already escaped other tricky situation, she could find a way. The trickiest part would be to find Astrid and Rona. She leaned against the wall and breathed in deeply. The woman named Valka gave her some water, the only thing they had been given in this cell. She didn't know if she could trust that Valka, but it would be a risk she'd have to take.

In her cell, Astrid was looking around. Her entire body was hurting, but it was nothing compared to the pain she felt thinking of Rona. There would have been a better way to get her back, she was pretty sure of it, but her foggy mind had stopped her from acting rationally. Hel…She hated herself right now!

 _Stop hating yourself like this, there is no use. Just work to get her back!_

Not too many guards, she had to steal keys, or get someone to open the door one way or another…She didn't like the way Drago looked at her, she knew what lust looked like in a man's eyes, and that was it, except there was no love, not even tenderness or any other felling; Just raw desire, and that wasn't good. She heard footsteps and a familiar form advanced toward her cell, escorted by two big guards. She backed away from the door, understanding who it was.

Viggo opened her cell and got in. The two guards stayed outside, just watching from a distance from any move. He approached her slowly, threatening, even though he wasn't really doing anything to scare her. She kept a stoick face, her eyes screaming 'stubborness'. He stopped, looked down at her and sat to be at her level. He didn't utter a word, she was probably sure he wanted her to snap or something. She wouldn't do that. Instead, she calmly said:

"You knew since the beginning, didn't you?"

He smiled bitterly, his eyes joyless in spite of his victory.

"Well, I'd like to say yes, but it would be a lie. I must admit you got me, I believed what you said and I even started to feel some friendship for you. I understood lately;" he smirked, some dark satisfaction enlightening his eyes. "You betrayed yourself with that kid."

"What do you mean?"

"When I saw you with her, there was something…Strange about the way you behaved. I thought you simply didn't want that child to see me at first, but something in you bothered me. I asked my last spy to tell me who that kid was, and she told me you adopted that kid along with Fury. So when you lied and told me she was just a trainee of yours…"

Astrid internally cursed herself. What an idiot! Oh, why did she have to betray herself like this? But she couldn't have told Viggo she took a little slave as a child, he would have understood something wasn't right as well.

"People always do stupid things because of their feelings. Fury trusted you too much with that mission, probably because he is in love with you. And he is doing something stupid again. He was following us, you know."

"What?!"

"Of course, with Heather, and I don't know who the other guy was, but it doesn't matter. They almost got you back at one point, but they failed. I guess it only fueled his anger, he is throwing himself in our jaws."

She felt burning anger at this: "So what? Is he in jail already? I don't think so. He already tricked you in the past, don't forget that! It cost you that Krogan's head! You made mistakes too, and I don't know what he is planning, but he isn't stupid enough to waltz in and let you capture him! He surely has a plan, don't overestimate yourself!"

His smirk dropped slightly. At her surprise, it seemed to her surprise that he was really considering that possibility. That was definitely a proof of his intelligence: he never underestimated his enemies.

"You're probably right: he isn't that reckless. That's maybe one of the reasons why he gave me so many difficulties. But I know he is coming, and I still managed to capture you. Maybe you shouldn't overestimate him and yourself."

"Are you here to gloat?"

"No. Forgive me, I was starting to forget the true reason of my visit. I want you to tell me who Fury is. I'm pretty sure you know something."

"Why do you need me to tell you that? From the way you speak, you'll capture him soon and discover for yourself."

"He won't give up without a fight. And as you said, anything could happen."

Of course, he hoped Fury's identity could be a weapon to use against him! S if she would give him that!

"And if I don't tell you anything?"

"I'll make you talk."

"Drago wants me in one piece."

"There are many ways to torture someone without damaging their bodies. Trust me, I know about it, I became an expert in that art."

His tone let her know he wasn't kidding. She wasn't scared of pain, but she knew torture would exhaust her, and she had to keep all her strength if she wanted to escape. With Rona prisoner, she and Camicazi were really disadvantaged. They would have one chance and no more.

"We agreed he wouldn't show me his face or tell me his real name," she immediately said, "in order to make sure you wouldn't know anything."

Viggo frowned. "His face? He didn't show you his face?"

"No. We had to be sure…"

"Now that weird. I know he is human already and so does Drago. He has a normal face, why didn't he show it to you? He knows already that I saw him, so why would it matter, as long as you don't know his name..."

Astrid was taken aback, Viggo genuinely looked confused. And now that she thought about it, it was weird indeed.

"I don't know. Fury hardly explained anything about him or about his past."

He narrowed his eyes but didn't seem to doubt that.

"He had always been wary. Indeed, I can believe he didn't tell you anything. I shouldn't lose my time with you. Camicazi was around him for a longer time, she'll give me much more information than you."

"Don't touch her."

Viggo smirked and left her alone. Astrid prayed they wouldn't hurt her friend. Oh, what could she do? She would have only one shot. She had to try to find a way to escape, yet her mind drifted somewhere else. Fury…What Viggo said just rose questions she couldn't ignore.

If he was human and not a monster, and if his enemy already had an idea of what he looked like, then why hide his face from the beginning? The only reasons for someone to hide their face were those: the shame to be seen, or the necessity to keep their identity secret. If fury had a normal, even handsome face like Viggo said, he had no reason to hide from her. In fact, showing her his face would have reassured her when she was so hostile toward him. So it wasn't out of shame. His secret then? But if his face was unknown to her, then why…

It was like a big slap in her face: he had kept his face a secret because it wasn't unknown to her. That was the only possibility!

How didn't she realize that sooner? Fury…Who was he? From what she knew, he couldn't reveal her face because he didn't want someone to know his real identity, and didn't care that people of his tribe saw him. Which mean that she met him in the past, without his mask. She tried to think, she tried to remember everything that happened, which could have given her a hint. Then it struck her. The first night they spoke, his voice had reminded her of someone. She had even told him…What was it? She remembered: _It's funny, your voice sounds like my friend's one, but it's the only thing you two have in_ _common;_ _he was nothing like you_ _…_ _His name was Hiccup, and he is now dead._

 _His name was Hiccup…_

No! No, it couldn't be! Hiccup was dead, wasn't he? They found some clothes and blood…But they never found a body…No! That was ridiculous, wasn't it? Hiccup would have came back to them…but with his uncle mistreating him…Maybe he was captured and took that occasion to be free…No! No, it couldn't be! It was impossible! Fury had a voice like Hiccup had, but that didn't mean they were the same person! Yet the more she thought about it, the more it made sense. Endris was built some times after his disappearance; he had been lenient toward Berk, accepting a trade while he could have asked for more, but showed despise toward Spitelout…She didn't see anyone she knew who could match Fury more than him actually…And now that she thought about it, some of his manners and gestures were quite similar to her childhood friend's…Hiccup…

Could Fury be…Hiccup?

 **Yep, she kinda guessed! And Valka is in the game! We'll see how it turns out next chapter!**


	18. The Dragon Rise

**Chapter 18**

 **The Dragon Rise**

 **Hi everyone! Why did it take so long to update? Simply because there are fight scenes and some strategy in this chapter. And if you know me a bit, you know I have difficulty with that. I have turned in my head different possibilities, made several drafts, almost banged my head against the computer out of frustration until I finally got something okay.**

 **By the way, I'd like to remind readers that I can't answer if you post a Guest comment, I can only answer when people log in.**

 **Also, many thanks to JustADerangedFanGirl, who reminded me of a detail I forgot (yeah, I must admit, I forgot it), and which will be useful! If you wonder, it's the little pocket knife Gobber offered Atsrid in the early chapters and which she kept with her.**

 **You probably didn't read it, it's a detail I forgot to add in the precedent chapter, but Hiccup took the Lady, the Typhoomerang and Timberjack along with him (seen in chapter 14).**

 **O o O**

Hiccup…Hiccup could be Fury…

Her brain had been absolutely stuck with this idea. She had to calm down, she had other things to focus on…But could it be that her friend was alive and… _No! Focus!_ She had to escape first. She had to get to Rona and to Camicazi. But how would she do that? Even if she managed to get to one, how would she get to the other? She didn't even know where they were! But how…

An idea appeared in her mind, she could work something with Drago, but only to a certain extent. If it worked she would be able to locate at least one of them. But she doubted it would work twice. She felt her heart clenching at this. She had no wish to let Camicazi behind, but if she had to choose between rescuing six-years-old Rona and Camicazi, an experienced warrior, she wouldn't hesitate. Cami had her chances, she was an escape-artist from what she knew. A child's safety came first.

She sighed and wrapped her arms around herself. Rona…It was strange, she always wanted children, she always wanted to have a girl, but she never expected to have one so soon. She didn't meet her long ago, and yet…She had already adopted her. Little thing so fragile but determined, sprinting under the sun and holding her little training axe to go and fight…She remembered how she would slid under the covers and wrap those around herself when she would get put her to bed. The sound of her voice when she called her 'mom'…What if that trauma made her go mute again? What if she never heard that voice, or never saw her again?! She had hoped she would be able to take her to Berk, introduce her to her mother and little sister. They would have loved her, she was sure of it. It could still happen! She knew it, it could still happen!

No, she liked Camicazi, but she would save her Rona first; her daughter…She could still save Cami later. In fact, when she thought about it, Fury (Hiccup?) wasn't going to let them die here, in fact, if Viggo had told her the truth, he had been following them along with Heather. She was pretty sure they had a plan, and she would be able to help out; but in the meantime, she would have to protect Rona.

Astrid rubbed her forehead and leaned against the wall. As she laid her leg down, she felt the familiar sensation of something hard in her boot. It was so familiar now she hardly paid attention to it, especially when she had been drugged. But now that her brain was clear, she remembered it. Gobber gave it to her, when she left Berk. Her eyes widened slightly as she remembered. It was on the docks, as she was saying her goodbyes.

" _Very useful if you get disarmed, remember it."_ He had given her a pocket knife…A small knife made to be hidden easily…And she had put it in her boot. She would keep it there all the time…She checked around whether or not there were any guards around. No, no one. They were close surely, but there was no one looking at her right now. She touched her boot and felt the knife. She had a weapon! It was nothing much, really, but it was still something. She took it out and slid it in her belt, putting her shirt in front of it carefully, hiding it from sight. This was a weapon for quick assassination, not for a real fight.

She went to the bars and looked at the nearest guard: "Hey! I want to speak with Drago."

"You'll wait until tomorrow."

"No, I…"

"Tomorrow, I said! He told us not to touch you, but don't even think you can order us around."

She tried again but to no avail. But maybe that was for the best. She needed to regain some forces, being drugged for days had taken its toll on her. Relaxation in those conditions wasn't easy, but she tried to calm down and rest. Yet she wouldn't be granted peace yet.

Even though he was tired from the travel, Viggo went to Astrid again. He didn't know what to feel toward that girl. He knew Fury was the one who gave her directives, but she still managed to lie to his face efficiently. She played him and that was infuriating; on the other hand, he had to admit he was a bit impressed, he couldn't help but admit she had done something few people did, and he could respect that. Maybe that was the reason why he came into her cell that evening: because he wanted to manipulate her once again. Capturing her could only fix his mistake. He needed to do more than that. He needed to have the ascend on her, he needed to control her. And now that she didn't have Fury with her anymore, it would probably be easier and entertaining.

He found her lying on the ground, her hands were still chained. She looked like she was deep in thoughts. She gazed up at him while the guard was opening the door for him. "I wasn't expecting you to be so quiet. I expected yells and insults toward the guards."

"I would have liked to sleep, I'm saving my energy."

"For Drago's bed?"

She tensed at this, propping herself up a bit. "You vicious son of a bitch! Keep that kind of thoughts for yourself if you don't want me to tear off your face with my nails!"

"You could try. But the guards here would probably pull those off."

She looked at the man and unlike her, their hands weren't chained. Anyway it wasn't the right moment to act, it wasn't Viggo she would play. That was really frustrating! He sat on the ground.

"But now, I guess it was not really elegant to talk about that. I'll still speak of your marriage, my dear. It's quite uncommon to be engaged to two men who're mortal enemies. You'll have to choose one."

Astrid snorted, shifting slightly to sit more straightly, taking a nonchalant posture. She didn't want to look nervous right now. "And I guess you'll advise me to choose Drago. I guess you're gonna tell me that Fury won't hold up to him, that he'll never be able to save me and that for my well-being and Rona's one, I should better do it."

"Those are the first arguments, indeed. But I'll also repeat what I told you the first time we met: you could be powerful and upraise Berk again. Think, Astrid: Drago is no fool, he might be ruthless, but he isn't stupid. If you show him you want you and him to rule Berk together, he'll conquer it along with you. You'll have Spitelout's head on a silver plate before you can even realize it, and you would be able to make your tribe great again. Also, he is attracted by you, obviously, but if you do what's necessary, you could make him love you, for real. He would really treat you like a queen, you would have this island, Endris, and Berk, and maybe more. You would be the great Hooligan queen, your tribe could be one of the most powerful again, and your little girl…Imagining the life you could give her! You would give her such a legacy, it would be so easy and so glorious. You could find your dragon again too, and your friends, your Hooligan friends could also ascend to great positions thanks to you, and you could spare some of the Endrisians you like from horrible fates."

Truthfully, he did have a talent to make shiny promises. But the images of the former slave flashed through her mind. She didn't want to be queen of _that_. She shrugged: "You still have to take Fury down."

"He is going to fall into our hands soon enough. His foolish move is made out of love for you…"

She rolled her eyes and snorted at this. "You really think everything will be that easy? Fury won't lose easily, he'll fight to the end." It wasn't really helpful or anything, but she just needed to say it.

"We expect that. But don't fool yourself, we'll win and you should be on the good side when I'll get my own prize."

"Oh please, don't tell me you want a woman too!"

"No, I asked for Fury."

"What?!"

He wanted Hiccup?! No, Fury; he wanted Fury, he didn't know about Hiccup. Anyway, she wasn't even sure this was Hiccup. But either way, did he really mean…Oh, she knew abusing an enemy like this to dishonor them wasn't actually that uncommon, but she didn't picture Viggo doing this, especially not to Fury.

"It's pretty strange, I know. Maybe it's because he was so much in my head, maybe it's his face, I don't know. A lot of men felt humiliated for being overpowered by such a lean guy. I wasn't. He uses his wits just like me, if anything I was happy to have an adversary at my level. I don't think I will totally break his mind, I'll keep some feistiness, I'll just make him obedient enough to stay put. Then, will you really be able to marry a man dishonored in such a way?"

She felt repulsed, she wanted to gouge his eyes out! He almost sounded like he had some…twisted romantic feelings about him, and it made the whole thing even more perverse in some way. She tried to reassure herself: "Drago will never risk keeping him alive."

"Once I'll have him, he'll be dishonored; no one could accept him anymore as a chief. In fact he will have much more satisfaction to see his fierce enemy turned into my personal slave. A glorious death on the battlefield wouldn't be really a punishment for a Viking chief."

Oh no…Hiccup! In spite of his lies, in spite of what he did, she certainly did not wish him to go through that! She had to prevent that from happening!

"You disgusts me!"

"And you confuse me. You, the insurgent, the one who wouldn't submit to Spitelout, you're doing everything for a man who took you for an arranged marriage! Seems like you forgot your own values."

She huffed: "On contrary! Seeing what you did to those people made me furious at you! I was angry at Fury, but that's nothing compared to what I feel about you!"

She stopped herself here. She couldn't say too much! If he told Drago about it, her plan would never work. She lowered her eyes and sighed: "What are you gonna do to Cami now? Didn't your brother want her?"

"You really hope for her to marry Ryker?"

"It wouldn't be a bright future, not at all. But if it can keep her alive..." She let her face contort. "Where is Rona, Viggo? Where is my little girl?"

He smirked and leaned a bit more toward her, with a smug face. "Why should I tell you?"

She rolled her eyes: "Don't tell me anything. You're a snake, I would never know whether you're lying or not."

"May I remind you that you did nothing but lie to me. Oh, I don't really blame you, it's exactly the kind of methods I would use. But just acknowledge you're a snake too."

He patted her knee and she moved her leg away. "Think of what I told you. Fury is an idealist, and idealism never holds on when confronted to cold reality."

With that, he left her. She rolled her eyes, if he thought he could convince her easily he was wrong. She had always been called hard-headed and she was; many times she had been told being the insurgent would never bring her anything good, but she continued, for Hiccup. She wouldn't give up the fight now, when the lives on hundreds, thousands of people even, were at stake. She hardly slept that night.

Outside, Viggo went back to his own home. It was at the border of the village, not so far from the prison. He had built it here to be away from the noises of the people around, and it was a bit upraised compare to the rest of the town. He liked to have a view over it, he felt like he was dominating the whole town. It was true somehow.

He wanted nothing but to get into his bed right now. He noticed his brother walking out as well and coming toward him. While Ryker often annoyed him with his limited mind, he was feeling in a good mood right now.

"You know Fury is around, right? Wonder what he'll try…"

"We'll see, Ryker. Being able to react quickly to the unexpected is what makes a true genius. We'll see if I can do that once more!"

Ryker lowered his eyes a bit, not really liking that. "Viggo, I know you…You like to see this as a game between you and Fury but we're getting close to…"

He turned to his big brother a nd interrupted him: "Are you lecturing me, Ryker?"

"I'm just noticing you like to see what Fury can do, even if that means taking risks."

"Do you really think I would be idiotic enough to risk our victory? Only fools think they can control everything, truly smart people know this isn't the case. So I might as well enjoy it since it's unavoidable."

But you enjoy it too much…Ryker didn't voice that thought. It was pointless, Viggo was indeed smarter than him, and he knew his little brother wouldn't listen to him for that. He was surprised when Viggo passed an arm around his shoulders in a brotherly way.

"Our time of glory is coming. You and I, we'll have everything we always wanted."

He released Ryker and the latter wondered why he was suddenly being demonstrative, it wasn't his type. Maybe he was just euphoric, he was too in spite of his worries. After all, they were indeed going to crush their biggest enemies. With Fury heading toward them, they had a good opportunity to take him down. And with him down, the rest of the tribe would be weaker.

"We could tie our prisoners on the Main Place, and hide our men around. Then when Fury will…"

"Yeah, sure, and why don't you paint a red target around them too?" Sighed Viggo. "Fury will see the trap, he isn't stupid. No. They have to stay in jail, he'll try to get in for sure. And that's when we will catch him. We must let him think he has a chance."

He was right, it annoyed Ryker at times, but he knew Viggo was right. Once again, he wondered if he had to worry about his brother's infatuation with Fury. He would see. He hardly slept that night, in spite of the exhaustion from the travel.

Camicazi had a hard time falling asleep too. She was tormented by everything, Valka and she had an idea, and it would have to wait. When she finally got some rest, she was brutally awoken. A foot crashed in her chest. Her body jerked and she coughed at this. She looked up to see Drago towering above her.

"Hope you had a nice sleep, but now it's over." Before she could react, he grabbed her hair to yank her up. She yelped and tried to hit him but he just grabbed her wrist and tightened his hold enough to hurt her. One of the guards came and took hold of her arms in spite of her struggle, and Drago violently threw his fist in her stomach. The air ran out of her lungs, and as pain was exploding in her chest, she heard Valka scream. Two other guards were holding her so she wouldn't interfere. Two other punch followed, another in her face and the other in her stomach. She felt dizzy already, Drago had a lot of strength, and he wasn't holding back! She still took a deep breath and looked up at him.

"I don't know what you want, but go fuck yourself! You fucking liar, you said you wouldn't touch us."

"Well, I had to reassure my future wife, but now that we're together, you know what I really do to my enemies."

Another punch in the face followed and she felt blood dripping from her nose and filling her mouth. Her hair was grabbed again and she was pushed on her knees. That's when she noticed something they brought in: a bucket of water. Still holding her hair, Drago pushed her head into it and hold it in place while was trying to get away. The guard was still holding her arms, careful that she wouldn't push the bucket away. Gods, the water was cold and her lungs were starting to hurt already! She was really starting to suffocate, she was feeling dizzy and her lungs ached. Were they really going to drown her?! When her head finally pulled out, she took a deep breath and Drago made her look at him while pulling on her hair painfully.

"Now, that was just an appetizer. It can stop right now if you answer my questions."

"You didn't even ask…"

"I know, I told you, that was just an appetizer, or a warning if you prefer. Now, I'm asking questions: how many warriors Fury have? How many dragons? What are his next plans against me? Did you have spies here?"

"I'm not telling you…"

He plunged her head in the bucket again. Valka yelled at him: "You monster! You're going to kill her!"

"It wouldn't be such a big loss." He eventually took her head out, she was breathless and dizzy but she refused again. He punched her in the face again, worsening the wounds ad plunged her head in the water again. Her lungs ached even more than earlier. Blows, she could handle, but holding her breath like this was another thing. Dizziness started to overwhelm her when she was finally pulled out of the water. She coughed, hurting herself even more, it felt like she couldn't breathe anymore even with her head out. She barely had time to take some gulps of air when she was pushed in the water once more. She couldn't go on like this! She had to invent a lie, anything! When Drago took her head out again, she could just stutter: "Wai…Wait!"

He looked at her expectedly and after breathing deeply, trying to clear her dizzy mind, she finally uttered: "I…What were your questions?"

"The state of his army? His plans against me, what are those? Are there any spies?"

"We've over two thousands warriors and less dragons. They are becoming difficult to feed, we had to make sure less of those were born." She diminished the numbers, if he underestimated them, it would be better.

"Good. What else?"

"Fury wanted to reach to you through Viggo and Astrid to know more. He didn't want to make a plan until he got more information." This wasn't true either. He had plans, but she wasn't about to reveal those. Drago plunged her head in the water again and she tried to struggle; why?! When he took it out, he gave her a deadly stare: "Liar!"

"I swear!" She coughed. "He wanted to take Viggo and interrogate him! He wanted to deprive you of your best strategist! But he wanted to interrogate him first before making any plans!"

Drago's eyes narrowed and he seemed thoughtful. "Spies?"

"We tried to send some a while ago but you got them and killed them." He remembered that, he had gotten them, as well as some spies from Mala. "We didn't didn't try sending any other, we thought it would just worsen things up," she said.

Looking at her, he wasn't sure whether or not she was telling the entire truth. A smirk adorned his face.

"I'll ask your friend, we'll see whether or not she tell you the same."

"Astrid doesn't…"

A violent kick in the stomach sent her down and silenced her. He exited with the guards.

Valka rushed to her and kneeled at her side. Cami was quivering and Valka put her head on her knees and started to clean her wound immediately. In normal circumstances, Camicazi would have never let anyone put her head on their knees, but she was feeling dizzy and it wasn't time to waste her energy. She breathed in deeply and smiled in spite of all.

"Are you okay?" Asked Valka, a bit scared by that smile.

"Those guards ain't careful," she whispered. "Look."

Valka looked at what she was holding and held her breath at that sight: the key of their cell. But, didn't the guard notice it? No, of course not. It was the man guarding the door who locked them again, not the one holding her while she was getting tortured. Perfect!

"We need to get to the dragons. If we can free them, it should distract everyone and we could escape."

"Alright, but we'll need to get Astrid and Rona as well."

"We will, I promise on my honor you can trust me. I don't want to imagine a little girl in Drago's hands."

Camicazi hoped she would be loyal indeed. She tightly held the key. That was her last hope.

 **O o O**

When she heard someone open the door of her cell, Astrid opened her eyes and was almost delighted to see Drago. He was no reassuring sight, though, but that was her chance! She stood up as he entered her cell.

"I have some questions for you."

She rose her hands: "If you want to know who Fury is, I can swear on my ancestors that he never told me his name, and he never showed me his face either. He intended to do so the day of our marriage."

"I know, and it doesn't matter anymore. I'll discover it for myself soon enough. I want more practical details. In what state is his army? What is his next plan to attack me? You know those things."

"Let me see my little girl. I'll tell you what I know if you let me see her."

He tilted his head. He and Viggo agreed they had to let them stay in that jail. But now, he had to find a way to make her talk without torturing her. He didn't intend to damage her. Maybe he could give her that, the girl was her weakness, seeing the kid scared and crying for her would make her bend to his will. Anyway, the child was kept close by, and there was no way Fury would know they were going out for a short amount of time.

But now, the girl was cunning, wasn't she? No, Fury was cunning, not her. According to what Viggo told him, Fury had directed her actions; she had been smart enough to follow those, but she had no instructions to follow anymore. He had heard of rumors about her, she was a great warrior but that didn't mean she was a great strategist. No, right now, it was only the mother talking, the hot-headed mother who wanted nothing but see her new daughter. And she was chained and unarmed.

"Let's make a deal: I let you see her but if what you tell me isn't enough, I'll torture her right under your eyes."

She shivered at this. It was a big risk; yet she would obtain nothing without risks. She thought a bit and asked: "You swear me she won't be hurt if I give you what you want?"

He shrugged: "I swear to you."

On the way, she looked around and remembered the way out. Drago was keeping a strong hold and she realized no guards were going along. No guards…It surprised her, maybe Drago wasn't expecting her to do anything. Maybe…Maybe she could try to do something now.

The forest wasn't far at all, it was a big risk, but there weren't many people around. But what would she do, after that? Hide in there with a six years old child? That was crazy! But as crazy as it seemed, it was still the best option. That was risky, but she wanted to make sure she and Rona would be free when her friends and fiancé would be here. She didn't want any of them to serve as hostages.

"If I accept to side up with you, what will happen? And if I was to marry you?" She had no intention to do that, but he had to believe she did.

"You'll get to keep her if you join me, whether you marry me or not."

"Wait…So you won't object having her as your adoptive daughter?"

"As long as she doesn't annoy me, it doesn't bother me. I intend to have heirs, one more child won't be a bother. I'm not a man of sentiment, Astrid, yet that doesn't mean I can't provide for a wife and children. That girl and the heirs you'll give me will have everything they need." That and she was apparently mute; that was perfect to Drago, he wouldn't hear her shriek around.

He led her to a regular house. The forest wasn't far, really, and Astrid was relieved to know Rona wasn't in a cell. A woman opened the door, quite pretty but her eyes were cold. She immediately stepped aside, her head bowing down to Drago. Astrid just rushed in to see Rona sitting by the fireplace, hugging her knees and looking scared. The child jumped on her feet and ran to Astrid who passed her chained arms above her head and hugged her like this. She was alive and well! That was such a relief! She looked at her face and her joy lessened when she saw a big bruise on the girl's face. She turned to the woman with an angered look:

"What's that?! What happened to her?!"

"She bit me," the other replied coldly.

Astrid quickly freed herself from the little girl and stood up but Drago stopped her. "You're still a prisoner on that island, remember that." Then, he seized the woman by the throat and growled: "As for you, I gave you a very simple task, don't mess it up."

"Y…Yes."

He was looking at her instead of Astrid and she took that occasion. She seized the knife and aimed for his throat. The woman saw her and yelped. Drago just had the time to throw himself aside. The blade cut the skin and Astrid went to stab him again when he struck her hard with his elbow. She stumbled back and just had time to dodge as he swung his axe at her. One look was enough to see his throat was bleeding, but it wasn't enough. Shit!

"You bitch!"

His insult was almost unheard; Astrid threw herself at the woman who tried to catch Rona. Unlike Astrid and Drago, she was no warrior; she didn't escape the knife. Astrid was dodging Drago's next attack as Rona's captor was falling down. Astrid dodged again; she could do nothing else, she had no reach at all! And her hands were still chained! When he swung his axe at her again, she plunged down toward his hip. She cut the strap holding the keys; the blade sliced his leg deep as she did that. Those fell on the floor as she jumped away from Drago's axe. His blade hit the floor hard as he roared in pain.

Astrid rushed to a wooden chair and crashed it as hard as she could. He growled and stumbled, but a big man like him wouldn't be knocked out like that. It still gave Astrid the opportunity to go for the keys. She seized those and rushed to Rona, grabbing her and holding her against her chest. Rona gripped her as hard as she could. They had to get out of here before someone else heard the ruckus! There was no way she could properly fight right now! She rushed outside ad Drago started to pursue her but his leg was slightly limping. As she sprinted outside, she saw a few warriors rushing toward them. Shit, they heard the fight!

She started to run aside to find a way out when both her shoulders were grabbed. He blood ran cold as she felt the extremely strong grip. Rona was still in her arms!

Before she could react, she was pulled up. Her feet weren't touching the ground anymore. Then, fire.

Fire was breathed at the enemies and then spikes were thrown as they got higher. Rona yelped and buried her head in Astrid's chest. The young woman didn't even need to look up to know which dragon was holding her. She laughed in relief as they got higher and higher, finally out of reach. More fire was breathed at the warriors before they could shoot arrows at them. She couldn't see where it came from, but some of those flames were almost purple.

"Astrid!"

She turned her head to see Fishlegs flying by her side. What was he doing here?! She didn't know and didn't care. He extended his arms to catch Rona.

"Go to him, honey."

"…Yes."

She was reassured to hear her voice again. The kid did as she was told, and Fishlegs helped both of them to get on the Nadder's back. The little girl hugged Astrid once again, and she murmured softly: "It's alright, we escaped!"

"It's not over, sentinels are coming! Kill them but we must continue to fly away!" Yelled Fury.

Mounted on dragons, some of Drago's warriors tried to pursue them. Lady and Toothless immediately fired the closest ones while Hiccup made a sign for the Typhoomerang to make his fiery tornado. The sentinels backed away at this and Hamera fired at those who were too distracted to pay attention to her. Three human bodies in flames fell into the sea while their wounded dragons fled away. Rona screamed at this and hugged Astrid tightly. The woman tightened her grip on her and ordered her Nadder to send spikes at the closest riders. One of them was wounded but the other one, riding a Gronkle, dodged and fired at them. The Nadder swiftly dodged to the side and got close enough to him.

Astrid jumped from her dragon while Rona tightly gripped the Nadder. She crashed against the Gronkle and stabbed the man before he could kill her. She grabbed his axe as his body fell into the sea. The Gronkle struggled against that new passenger though and Astrid lost balance. She yelled as she fell right toward the sea. She was suddenly caught back by her Nadder and she retrieved Rona on her back. On her side, Heather shot arrows at their opponents while Windshear would fire and even slice them with her deadly tail. They killed some of them and eventually distanced the others.

As they were flying away, she looked at the Nadder fondly. "It's the second time you come to save me while I'm outnumbered. You're the best!" The dragon grunted gently. She then turned to Fishlegs: "I knew someone would come!"

"Of course we were! I'm so glad to see you're both okay!"

Astrid was undoing her chains when she saw a black shadow, and her smile grew. Rona gave a joyful yelp. She saw Heather and Windshear as well. Fury came at her level and extended his arm enough to take her hand. She couldn't help but return the gesture. He also patted Rona's head gently. Lady approached Rona and gave her a quick lick on the face. Along with them, Astrid saw two big dragons and realized those were the Timberjack and the Typhoomerang she had seen in the woods.

"How did you know where we were?" Asked she

"We didn't, we were in the forest, trying to figure out a plan. Stormfly must have felt you were in danger, her instincts kicked in. We just followed her along with our dragons."

His voice…Her smile faltered a bit as she wondered again who he really was. It wasn't the right moment, though. She would put that aside for now. "We have to get Rona to a safe place and save Camicazi."

"We will," Heather affirmed. "We've got something for that, and with the two of you already out, it should be easier. Are you ready for what's coming?"

Astrid smirked and nodded.

 **O o O**

Having a key to escape was one thing. Getting an opportunity to use was another. For now, there were too many guards in this corridor, and opening the door and trying to fight them off in such a state was nearly suicidal. Camicazi was simply resting for now, anger still vivid for what Drago did to her. She looked at Valka and saw how sad she looked.

"Did he treat you like that as well?"

"Not really. He avoids hurting me too much, I'm useful to him."

Sighing, the Endrisian spoke again: "Do you have somewhere to return to?"

"Not really. I…I had a place I could call home once, but this isn't the case anymore."

"Why?"

She received no answer at first. It wasn't until a long moment she heard: "My family is dead. My son and my husband." She gave no further explanation and Cami didn't ask. Valka remembered the day she learned about her husband and son's death. She had been so far away from the world that she received no news of them until she was imprisoned here. It was Drago who mentioned before her that Stoick the Vast was dead, as well as his son. It had been the worst thing he did to her, and he wasn't even aware of it.

A sudden and loud sound from afar and yells echoing through the hallway took her out of those thoughts. Cami jumped in surprise and looked at Valka questioningly. Footsteps of people running could be heard, the guards were called. What was happening? Was one of the dragons being difficult? If it was the case, they would probably come to her to calm them down.

"Everyone! We're being attacked! Come along!"

The few guards in the corridor did follow the call, except for the one near their door. "I have to guard their cell…"

"We're under attack, you dumbass! They aren't gonna tore the bars off!"

The other yielded at those words and followed them. Breathlessly, Valka realized the corridor was deserted. Cami stood and started to undo the chains;

"An attack, that's the gods helping us!"

"More like my friends coming to free us," whispered Cami with a huge smile. "Let's ease their task!"

Although their first move was to go to the dragons' area, they soon understood the battle was taking place in here. "We have to find another way…"

Footsteps echoed and the two women froze. About seven guards were rushing in their direction. "What?! Get them back!" Exclaimed one of them.

They were about to try to run when a guard suddenly slammed his hammer into another's head. They heard a violent 'crack'. The others didn't expect that, neither did the prisoners. It gave him time to crash his hammer against another man's skull. The others went to attack him. He deflated an attack and crushed his hammer in his ribs. Camicazi punched one in the neck violently, making it snap. She stole his axe and attacked as well. Valka grabbed a weapon too. The guard who helped them got his arm badly sliced but still managed to crush his opponent. Cami gutted the last man and turned to the mysterious guard while regaining her breathing. Their ally took his helmet off.

"I see you didn't lose time to escape!"

She gasped as she saw Astrid's friend, that Fishlegs guy. "What are you doing here?!

"I was sent to help you! Who is this?!"

"Valka is a friend; we wanted to free the dragons…" He laughed at this and said: "You and Fury are really alike! That's what he is doing! Come now, we have to get outside first, Meatlug and Hamera are waiting for us."

"I know the way."

They took down the few other guards they crossed, as Valka showed them the shortest way out. They went through the food stock which had a window which provided an easy way outside.

While they were escaping, the arena was a true inferno.

They had made sure to attack as quickly as possible. Yet, the guards had been expecting them. After Astrid's escape, they probably knew they would come back for Camicazi. Sadly for them, the losses after the battle against Krogan had diminished their rank, and they were about to confront some of the deadliest dragons existing.

Hiccup and Toothless took care of the flying sentinels along with Lady, Hamera and the Typhoomerang who was following the Night Furies. Hamera and the Typhoomerang were burning riders easily, their dragons would either be wounded, some were killed, but most of them made it alive. Toothless and Lady easily killed the ones coming at them, the deadly couple was more than they could handle. The female Night Fury would spin around like a tornado, shooting with a dead precision the men on the dragons. She would hardly hurt the animals, it wasn't her goal. Toothless would also make deadly shots, while Hiccup mortally wounded any rider in his reach. The sentinels were more numerous, but Hiccup and his Night Fury were stronger, better and more experienced. Slaying a rider who was trying to shoot an arrow at him, Hiccup gave his next order.

"Toothless, call."

Breathing deeply, the dark dragon roared loudly. It wasn't a roar to threaten. Toothless had always been a dominant dragon, even more than the other Night Furies. As the roar echoed, making every enemy tremble, the sentinels who were still alive also saw the dragons without riders starting to gather around Toothless. Free from their previous masters, they were free to chose, and although a few of them flew away, most of them stayed and attacked.

While they were fighting in the air, Astrid and Heather had gone with the Timberjack in the arena. Both girls and their dragons started to attack the less numerous soldiers in the ring. While the dragons were burning and tearing enemies apart, the two women sliced and maimed flesh. The Typhoomerang hardly threw any fire, and used his wings instead. Those could cut woods and easily opened human stomachs. The others in the prison were probably alerted already, they wouldn't have much time. Soon, the whole army would be alerted.

Heather ordered Windshear to slice the metal doors open. Seeing what she was doing, the Timberjack attacked the ones made of woods. Once more, Hiccup leaned down and told Toothless: "Call!"

At that second roar, dragons started to emerge from the cages and flew toward the Night Fury. Some were chained though and Windshear started to break their chains when a new whole lot of guards started to come in.

"Girls, come back!"

The two women flew toward Fury again. Astrid almost received an arrow in the face, the weapon grazed her cheek and she felt pain in her ear. She yelped and put her hand on the bleeding flesh. Shit! Ears would always bleed a lot! It wouldn't be enough to make her faint though, she had been through worse.

He sent the Typhoomerang to create a tornado of fire. Screams and yells of agonies echoed as fire invaded the ring and mercilessly burned the soldiers. He didn't even bother to take the time to watch this. He just looked around the prison, trying to spot whether or not his friends made it out. That plan to free the dragons from the cell was also a distraction for Fishlegs to get Cami out, he had to make sure…

A violent turn from Toothless almost threw him out of balance. He just had the time to push the pedal so they could keep flying. A figure threw itself at them. He and Toothless just had the time to dodge once more. Ryker! He saw the man on a Monstrous Nightmare, axe brandished. Ryker flew toward them and tried to behead the younger man who dodged and sent his sword toward his ribs. But Ryker was swift. He parried and sent his axe toward Hiccup's shoulder. Toothless and the Nightmare were struggling against each other, and a violent push from the Night Fury saved his rider from Ryker's next blow.

"I knew you would come for your little friend! Too kind to give up on anyone!"

"Come here, I'll give you a taste of my kindness!"

They clashed again, dragons and humans fighting each other. Fury almost planted his sword in his skull but received his opponent's elbow right in the face. He kept balance though and shielded himself from the next blow. Ryker tried to attack Toothless instead of him and Hiccup violently hit him with his shield, almost throwing him off his dragon. Then, he did something he hated. He slammed his sword against the Nightmare's head. The blow didn't kill the dragon, his thick skull and scales protecting him. But he bled and started to fall. Ryker yelled but kept a tight grip on the dragon and the beast managed to flip his wings clumsily. That was enough to get them to the ground. They landed in the forest! Fury was about to get down along with Toothless when he heard a voice calling him.

"Fury!"

Hiccup smiled hugely as he saw not only Fishlegs and Meatlug but Cami as well, back on Hamera. It wasn't the moment, he had to get his friends out of here, he would fight Ryker in time. He frowned though when he saw an unknown woman riding behind her. Valka tightly gripped the Bog-Burglar and bit her lip out of happiness. Oh it had been so long! So long since she hadn't felt the sensation to be in air, free and careless. She was finally flying away! After so many years, she was finally flying away! And all those dragons were finally free!

She thought she couldn't be happier, until she saw Cloudjumper flying toward them. Without hesitation, she jumped. Camicazi yelped until she saw Valka being caught back by the dragon.

Valka was elated to ride her dragon again and her friend happily greeted her. She laughed in joy. Her problems weren't over, but at least she would finally be able to regain freedom! She looked at those unknown riders, guessing easily those were Endrisians. She even saw a Night Fury, rode by a masked man. Fury! So she could finally see him for real! A wave of liveliness hit her, for the first time since she learned her son and husband's death, she felt like a heart was beating in her chest.

They reached their new hideout, where Rona had been waiting. She immediately ran to Fury and Astrid once she saw them. Hiccup gently took Astrid's face in his hands, and looked at her bleeding ear. Concern clouded his eyes as he looked at her. She was paler than before, no wonder, ears wouldn't bleed a lot. He made her sit down and Heather started to take care of the wound.

"I'll be alright, I got worse."

"It doesn't mean we should leave it like that."

He turned to Valka and looked at her. "Who are you? This wasn't your first ride."

"Not at all. I was a rider and a protector of dragons, just like you. My name is Valka."

He felt a slight pinch in the heart, that woman was named like his mother was. She explained how Drago captured her years ago, and although Hiccup wasn't so sure about her, it seemed like he had no reason to be distrustful. She really seemed to love dragons, the one she rode so naturally was at her side, leaning into her hand as she was fondly petting him. Camicazi put a hand on his shoulder.

"She helped me to escape, she was also a prisoner, we can trust her."

"I'll trust your judgment. How did you end in Drago's hands?"

"I fought him when he was just starting to rise. I thought my dragons could take him down…He proved me wrong. But what about you? I know you free slaves and dragons, but who are you really? Why such a mask?"

He straightened his stance and simply replied: "Your question could be answered, but not now."

Oh, Astrid hoped those questions would be answered indeed. His voice…Oh, she didn't dare to hope it was really Hiccup, that her friend was really alive, because deception was still possible and she didn't want to feel like Hiccup died again. She took a deep breath. "We should discuss other things, what are we doing now? Are we leaving?" Asked she.

"No. I'm sick and tired of that war; it's time to end it. We managed to release most of the dragons they used to ride, they have a serious disadvantage. Our troops are coming, along with Mala's dragons…"

"Dragons are coming that way?" They all turned to Valka after she interrupted Fury. To their surprise, she looked alarmed.

"Yes, why?"

"Oh, that's not good! Drago will probably try to use the Alpha to take them for himself."

"The Alpha?"

She explained what an Alpha was and what it could do. Hiccup listened with attention. Of course! That was the secret weapon he had! And that was why Drago wanted Viggo to steal from his library, because they wanted to know more about Alphas! Drago's biggest problems had always been that: making dragons bend to his will without breaking them completely. That had always been his and his tribe's greatest asset against him, they always had healthier and better trained dragons who wanted to fight along with them. But with that creature, he would have control over dragons with no problem at all. And his greatest advantage over him would become nothing…

"Wait why didn't he use it to get his dragons back when they flew away? Why didn't he attack us with him?"

"It took him a lot of time to capture it and train it. His control over the Alpha is still fragile. That dragon wouldn't call back the others or enslave them on his own, Drago would have to be near him and give him the order. And making him go for a war in a different territory would be risky, but if an entire army of dragons came here, served to him…"

Oh by all Helheim! He just deprived Drago from his army of dragons, but he was about to give him another! If all the dragons of his tribes suddenly turned against their owners, his people would be butchered! And Mala's tribe as well! No…No, he wouldn't allow that.

"We're getting to that dragon. Whatever happens, there is no way I'm letting Drago use that to his advantage."

 **To those who might wonder why Hiccup doesn't react to Valka's name more than this, remember once again that Valka isn't an uncommon name (at least in that verse). His mother wasn't the only woman named that way, therefore he would have no reason to assume that a perfect stranger is his mother, especially since he always thought she died a long time ago.**

 **So here you go, it really took me a lot of time to write the fight scene, especially the one where they free the dragons, to obtain something at least decent.**


End file.
